I had to become an adult very early on in my childhood, but it helped me grow into the person I am today. I lost my mom, and my dad left at a very early age, so I quickly grew up. My eyes were opened to the real world, which isn't all sunshine and rainbows like every kid thinks—the worst of the worst happened, which made me become an adult.

As the years went by, I matured quickly to watch out for my brother and me. We lived with my mom's family, but things were not always as cheery as they seemed. There were many ups and downs throughout the years, which caused me to keep growing up even though I was still a child. By the time I was fifteen, I was starting to support myself, both mentally and financially.

I got a job as soon as I turned fifteen and was working all the time. This was also combined with an all honors class schedule, plus a few extracurriculars, which means my plate was full. It was very hard to balance, but it was possible and necessary. I had to work because my family stopped supporting me, and I had to pay my way for just about everything.

A few months after I turned seventeen, I moved out of my parent's house, and my brother and I moved in together. That was one of the most stressful times in my life because there is so much that they don't tell you about moving out. I suddenly had bills to pay, groceries to buy, and school expenses to worry about. It didn't help that my older brother was no help when it came to making the decisions. He was only there to sign the paperwork and handle the legal side of everything.

Then there was the trouble of my mental health. As you may assume, a seventeen-year-old with her plate piled as high as it can go, mental health starts going downhill. Depression was a big issue for me because I had a hard time dealing with everything. Suddenly, my family wouldn't talk to me because we moved out, and I felt like the world was resting on my shoulders. This was also paired with my anxiety, which is hard to have when you are an adult because you can't be scared to ask people questions, especially about some adult situations. Now, as bad as it may seem, I stayed grounded with some support from friends and distant relatives, and I worked to get better, which I am, a lot better.

This was a lot for a seventeen-year-old to deal with, but I made it through. I survived a trying couple of months, dealing with everything that life had to throw at me, and now here I am, in college. The only way I've made it through so far always has a positive attitude. No matter what has happened, I never let it get me down because I know it could be much worse. Sure, there was always some issue to come up now and then, but that's life. You have to take it in stride, which I did. If I can get through this troubling life I've had so far; anyone can with just a little support and a lot of positivity, you can do anything.