Last week, my dad had a stroke and had to be in the hospital for 6 days. It was by far the scariest thing I've ever had to go through.
I was in geometry class, falling asleep, when a teacher came in and told me she needed to talk to me. My dad was feeling sick that morning, so my mind automatically went to the worst.
My brother was standing in the hallway, and he looked weirdly calm. We started walking down the hallway together as my brother told me my dad had been airlifted to the hospital because he'd had a minor stroke.
I started sobbing, uncontrollably, in the middle of the hallway. It wasn't my proudest moment. Even though my brother told me my dad was going to be fine, it still made me feel dizzy and out of control to think I could've lost him. I remembered the last thing I said to him. He and I were disagreeing on something, and I said, "whatever" and walked out. That could've been the last thing I ever said to him, and that scared me more than anything.
After that, all I wanted was a hug from my best friend. I had calmed down and I waited outside the classroom she was in until her class was over. It felt like a million years before the teacher let her leave. The second she came out, I didn't even talk, I just jumped on her and started sobbing all over again. She pulled me into a bathroom, and I cried in her arms for a while. Although my dad was still alive, it felt like he could die at any minute.
This sounds cliche, but this experience has taught me a lot. First, it taught me that people are important. No matter how much you think you can succeed on your own, sometimes you need a hug from your best friend. The world is really crazy sometimes, and you need someone to keep you grounded.
Second, it taught me to never take your parents for granted. As much as I fight with my dad, I realized that one day he's going to be gone. I learned to cherish the time I still have with him.
Thirdly, I learned that patience really is a virtue that not enough practice in the world can make you good at. The waiting was the hardest part. I waited on updates from my mom, who stayed in the hospital an hour away most of the time. I waited on the doctors to run tests and find results. I waited on my dad to come home. Eventually, though, everything turned out okay. Being patient is hard, but it's a very important skill.
Lastly, I learned that life is precious. You never know which day could be your last. You're not promised tomorrow. People are precious, and they could be gone at any minute. You have to learn to love before it's too late.
