In reality, we have all probably heard the cliché saying "everything happens for a reason" at least once in our lives. Whether it was from a faithful figure, a parent, someone who lectures you all the time about life in general, or even an educator, you have probably heard it before and either took it into consideration, or left the piece of advice at the curb.

For me, this saying means absolutely everything, and I am here to share my absolutely truthful story with you, and hopefully give you some inspiration and insight on why this saying is my life motto. Whether you are an extremest with religion, which I am not, or you have no faith in anything, this quote may become a huge part of your life and help guide you through some of your roughest and darkest times.

So, "everything happens for a reason." Let me start by explaining some of the largest adversities that I've had to face in my lifetime. Since I was able to comprehend anything, one of the first pieces of knowledge I've had was that my mother had secondary progressive Multiple Sclerosis from before I was born, and it continues to gets worse. Of course, I had no idea what this meant. In fact, I thought it just meant mommy had a cold for a really long time; what does a three year old know about anything? Before I knew it, I knew how to call 911 for my mother when she needed to go to the hospital or how to preheat the oven so that my mother could struggle to put dinner in the oven. This brings me to my next point of my parents being separated when I was 4 years old, where my birthday wish was always for my parents to get back together and for my mother to be well again. When my mother was too sick to take care of me, I moved in with my grandparents, and I have been under their care ever since. At a young age, I thought this was horrible. I was not like the other kids. My parents did not pick me up from school everyday, and I could not say that my mother or father tucked me into bed every night. There were always arguments among all of my family members, and I was always in the middle. I always felt that something was coming my way, something bad. I always thought "why me?", and I thought that maybe there was a God up there who absolutely hated me. I watch my mother until this day getting progressively worse with her illness, and I lose people in my life one by one. I battled a deep depression for years, and I was on and off of medications like a test rat. I battled myself, and often more times than not, I lost. But why did I get back up again? Here is why.

From all of the times people I have encountered said "stay strong", or "don't give up fighting", I thought they were insane, they did not know what I was going through or how I felt. However, I was wrong. From all of the times I wanted to give up, I always listened to that tiny voice in the corner of my mind that said, "everything in your life is happening for a reason, you'll see one day." At that time, it did not seem like that at all, but I think growing up is the best thing that has ever happened to me because I have such a different outlook on life as a whole. Everything that has happened in my lifetime so far absolutely stinks; it's more than a 19 year old should handle, is what a lot of people say. But actually, I am more than thankful that it did happen. If I could cure my mother right now, I would do it in a heartbeat, but from watching my mother in her condition and helping take care of her made me into the person I have always desired to become. Life has become more precious, and the moments that I experience everyday become more treasured. I have more compassion for people in more difficult situations than I because I know a tiny ounce of how they feel. I do not let things bother me as much. since I know they have happened for a reason; the reason is to make me a stronger person. I now have the desire to finish what my mother could not. She went to school to become something that she dreamed of being, and since she couldn't fulfill that dream, I will follow in her footsteps and do it for her and myself. I have more motivation to do so than ever. It has taught me the importance of staying healthy, and how important it is to love yourself because, even though there are people around you that love you, in the long run, you are all that you have. Going through this taught me to love people and to not hold grudges because life is so short, and it will only make you a miserable person. It taught me that it is okay if not everybody likes you, there will always be those few close one you do have, who will stick by your side, and that is all you need. This experience also taught me that my grandparents are the shining stars in my life. To be completely honest, after all the years under their care, I would not want it any other way. They have given me the essentials to be a strong, motivated woman, and they have also shown me by example. They have taught me that no matter what happens in life, they will always be there, or to never give up on anything, and that will forever give me the strength to keep going. Living with them happened for a reason; it made me into the person that I have always desired to be. I could keep explaining all of the specific things that have happened to shape me into who I am, but the list would be too long. All I know is that they happened, and they happened for a good purpose, whether it was a good happening or not; I think this goes for everybody.

So the moral of this article was not to vent to my readers about my life, for it was to tell all of you that no matter what you struggle with, you've got this. I am living proof, and I am only 19 years old. I could not be happier with my outlook on life. So many great things will come to you if you work for it. You have to fall to rise again, and it will probably be this way your whole life, but each of those falls will make you into a stronger and more well-rounded individual. Take every opportunity that you get, embrace everything that comes your way, and always look at the brighter side of different situations. You will definitely have those days where giving up seems so much easier, but don't give up because in the long run, you will embrace yourself for not giving up. There is so much to do and so much to see in your lifetime. Focus on being who you want to become and everything will fall into place one by one. Whether you are going through a similar situation as I, going through a breakup, going through a divorce, going through depression, or whatever it is, life will reward you. You are a soldier, so stand tall. Going through everything that I have has brought me to this very moment to inspire people who need inspiration in their lives, and you could do the same. It is a chain reaction, and I believe that one by one, we could inspire people all around the world by encouraging them that everything, in fact, does happen for a beautiful reason.