A Turning Point in Life

Sometimes a higher power brings us close to death so we may better appreciate life. In 2004, I sustained burns on 30 percent of my body when my kitchen caught fire. This horrific experience has given me a stronger inner drive, and has taught me to value everything I have, the people closest to my heart and each experience I encounter, both positive and negative.

 

The morning of the fire, I was preparing to go to the doctor, and my mother was on her way to accompany me. I wanted my apartment to have a nice aroma, and used a technique a friend had showed me. I put the end of a candle in an old sauce pan and let it simmer. However, before I knew it the pan burst into flames and I had to think fast. Sooner than I could reach the fire extinguisher, the candle exploded and my clothes were on fire. I extinguished myself and the rest of the kitchen and dialed 911. I was lucky because most of the damage was temporary. My hands were the only area that withstood long term damage, but that too was a blessing because it happened when I was covering my face.

 

After two weeks in the hospital, I was released to outpatient treatment and spent an additional three months in the care of my mother. The time and isolation allowed me to think about the past, present and most importantly the future. I analyzed my strengths and weaknesses and what really matters. I became comfortable with myself and found myself growing into a stronger more independent woman.

 

Over the next year, I wore compression gloves. They allowed the skin to smoothly heal, but were not exactly fashionable. Random people would stare at me and ask what was wrong, or even comment that I must be into Michael Jackson by replicating his glove trend. I realized that although I was not a shallow person, I did sometimes have difficulty understanding people that were different from me. This experience has taught me not to be judgmental, but to be empathetic with those unlike myself and people that may be going through a hard time.

 

One last lesson that I learned from this incident is that if I'm going to do something I will do it with passion. It made me realize that though my passion I can leave a positive impact on the world. I will enjoy life to the fullest and do what I can to help others do the same.