A quote that perfectly pertains to my life as stated by Tim Tebow is “Something I learned early is not to worry about what I can’t control. But what I can control is my attitude, my effort, and my focus every single day”. When faced with adversity during my youth I was forced to grow up faster than my peers, but this also allowed for my maturity. Whether it was my parents divorcing or my girlfriend being diagnosed with cancer, I learned that I could control my outlook on the difficult situations that I faced, by having to mature beyond my years. These adversities shaped me to be who I am today. As a young kid my parents would fight a lot. Things got bad at some points, some things that no kindergartener should ever have to see. My parents…show more content… Although we were both incredibly strong, we were both incredibly scared. Having such a close relationship with her, I was the one she leaned on the most. She had to go through six months of chemotherapy, which is not easy for anyone. During those six months I only missed one chemotherapy appointment. I will never forget the look on her face as the needle was inserted into her shoulder every two weeks. The appointments caused me to miss a lot of school my sophomore year, but I was blessed with many snow days or school delays on appointment days. I prioritized family over school, both equally as important, but I had to be there. Although I missed a lot of school, I refused to let myself fall behind, because I have worked so hard for so long. I had to self-teach myself in many of my subjects, consisting of many late nights, and early mornings, but I did not let my grades fall. As hard as this awful experience was for me, seeing a loved one in constant pain and low spirits, it was especially hard for my girlfriend, Sarah. Through the many months of complications and struggles I did everything in my power to help make it as easy on her as I could. Countless months of tending to her, and spending every moment I could by her side only helped me realize what was truly important in life, and put many things into perspective for me. Horrible things can happen to people at any time throughout their life. During this difficult time, a lot of adversity was thrown at Sarah and I, while many high school students would flee after having a boyfriend/girlfriend diagnosed with a deadly disease, it only brought us closer together. I handled the new responsibilities I faced in a mature manner, in which most 15-year-olds do not have to deal with. I had to handle a lot, but made it through