Being an Armenian is something very special and something I am extremely proud of. What my ancestors and many other Armenian descendant's ancestors went through is absolutely asinine, disgusting, and so sad. Over 1.5 million Armenians were brutally murdered, raped, and terrorized all because of their religion. Many were forced to leave their homes and flee the country in order to save their family and themselves.
My great grandmother was axed in the head by a Turkish man and left in a field to die all because she was Armenian. Maggots found their way into her wound, clogging it and which stopped the bleeding, and ultimately saved her life. Later, my great grandmother was then found by a Turkish farmer who took actually took her in, cleaned her up, and helped her in any way he could.
My great grandmother was not the only Armenian who went through a traumatic incident like this unfortunately. Thankfully, there were some supportive and caring Turkish people out there who did want to help the Armenians. I thank god everyday that one of these Turkish people found my great grandmother. If it wasn't for him, my great grandmother wouldn't have made it and my family's life would be completely different today.
What this Turkish man didn't realize is that he didn't just save my grandmothers life, but he saved mine and my family's too. If it wasn't for him or for the strength and determination of my great grandmother, my family wouldn't be here today. My grandfather, the son of my great grandmother, would have never been born, which means my father, aunt and uncle wouldn't have been born either. Without my dad, my brother and I would not be here today nor would my two older cousins, since my uncle wouldn't have been born either.
Thinking about this sends chills down my spine. If my grandmother wasn't the astounding and resolute person that she was, I would not be here today. That is a very unsettling thought to think about. What is even more disturbing to think about is all the people who are not around today because their ancestors, unfortunately, didn't survive the Armenian genocide.
Just alone, my great grandmother saved over seven people's lives. If every one of the 1.5 million deceased Armenians survived and saved at least seven people, there would be 10.5 million more Armenians here today. That is an immense amount of people who could have been alive today if their ancestors had survived or, better yet, if this genocide never happened in the first place.
Any descendant of an Armenian survivor will tell you how proud they are of their ancestors. What these people went through so we could be around today is truly amazing. They fought hard, persevered, and never lost hope, which saved them in the long run. They taught us to always stick up for what you believe in because if you fight hard enough, you will be heard and will be saved.
When trying to sell the idea of the Jewish Holocaust, Adolph Hitler said, "Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?" Well Adolph, I can answer that. I do, my family does, and many other Armenian descendants and their families do too. My ancestors were tough, they fought hard, and they beat these Turkish soldiers. These Turkish people did not win the battle. We Armenians did because, like me, many other descendants of survivors are here today. We are all still speaking about the genocide, sharing stories about our heroic ancestors, and will always be proud to be Armenian.
