"Education is the most valuable asset you can have in order to keep you safe from those who would lead you wrong or to help you succeed and become a better person in life. Anyone who refuses education, whether a parent or someone else, is denying life. And if any opportunity threatens your education, you can pray to God as much as you want to get back on course. In any case, make sure you read ".. Those were my ailing mother's final words to me before she passed away.
So I decided to give it a shot. Despite the fact that no one could help me, I tried my hardest to think about and understand the predicament I was in, and to form the proper thoughts in my mind. I was frightened of failing, so I used to keep a mental image of my mother as close to my heart as possible to inspire myself.
I still see her picture with tears running down her face to this day. This time, however, I saw nothing that differed from the images in my head. The world was a challenging place for me, but I strived to get stronger, and slowly but steadily, I began to develop confidence, and the sensation grew stronger. When I felt horrible about myself, the image of my mother crying and feeling worthless always come to mind.
When my mother died, I was 15 years old. For us, she was everything. After losing our father to death two years earlier, it was clear that things would only become worse for myself and my siblings. I was frightened that I would fail, that there would be no future for me, and that there would be no God to help me.
My parents encouraged me to pursue what I believed God wanted me to do, but it was difficult for me to believe in God or anyone who could help me. I desperately wanted to study so that I could help my siblings, but the fact that I didn't have anyone to aid me financially was tough to comprehend. As a result, I prayed hard every day, pleading for assistance and answers. I continued for a few years, but in the end, my prayers went unanswered.
On the other hand, I was adamant. I didn't want to believe I'd failed and that I'd never been able to have an education. I was dead set on finding a way out. To go to university, work hard in class, and assist my siblings once I graduated from high school. I continued holding on to my faith for a few years.
It was difficult for me to believe that I could succeed, and it was even more difficult for me to deal with the overwhelming feeling of hopelessness, but I had to try. I was so determined that I began praying about the situation and looking for any low-paying jobs that I could find. Everyone I told about my situation seemed unconcerned about the prospect of me getting educated, and I never hesitated to pray.
But no one wanted to help, so I kept looking and praying... until one day, alone in front of our house, I felt sad and began to cry. I began to reflect on my life, and I realized how dull it was, and how inappropriate the educational situation was. I began to reflect on all of my shortcomings, and whenever I was with my siblings, I always felt lonely, which angered and saddened me. Then I made up my mind that I would attend university no matter what.
To keep my intellect alive, I began to pray earnestly to my God and to read all the books I could get my hands on. I started working hard as well, taking on a variety of low-paying jobs. Nobody else was going to be able to assist me. My uncles and aunts were there to make I and my siblings' lives a living nightmare.
My father's house was always a place to celebrate every weekend when he was alive, with my father, uncles, and aunt. All of Dad's siblings and sisters are very special to him. My father is always willing to support their sisters who are having marital troubles. They, as well as their children, were fed and housed by my father. However, the situation changed as soon as the good man has gone to the world beyond, his children are evil in the eyes of his aunts and uncles.
Nonetheless, I chose to go ahead and trust in God to help me succeed. God was everything I had, I had to admit. And the feelings that God was always there for me were more than just hope. More than anything else, God was the source of my strength, joy, and tranquility. I was also joyful when I prayed to God and went to church. This shifted my perspective on life.
On my first day on campus, my joy knows not bounds. I was able to earn and save enough money to start university, but my strength could only carry me for one year. I was unable to pay for the next study session's tuition payments. I'm not sure how to express my feelings at this time. I didn't want anyone to think I'd dropped out. However, I got depressed and stopped communicating with anyone after that. I attempted everything I could to keep my situation hidden from the rest of the world. But every day, I was torn apart by the notion of my siblings, knowing that they were all rooting for their elder brother to achieve success so that they, too, could succeed.
There has to be a way out where there is a resolution. My younger brother, who always gave me a small amount of money when I came home, once said to me, "Felix, please accept my apologies for allowing you to drop out of school. I wanted to help you, but I was afraid to do the hard work that would earn me more money so I could support you. And you can be our engineer; I'm sure I'll be able to assist you; we'll be able to raise funds; and when you return to school, I'll be your rock."
I returned to school to start anew after a year of hard labor and self-sacrifice to save enough money, thanks to my younger brother's efforts. God gave me some favor in school. My ability to understand difficult topics and eagerness to help others quickly endeared my classmates to me. This brought many of my classmates who required assistance with their academic work to seek for my assistance. Suddenly, I was living in a free apartment and eating free meals on a regular basis.
I have to tell my little brother not to bother sending me money. You need more money than I do at the moment. In the last two years I spent in school, I lived in a free apartment and I made money by helping other students on campus. You may not believe it, someone paid my tuition fees in those last two years, a lot of books were bought by people. I finished my studies with good marks. And that's how I achieved my life's dream.
I had a good academic story. I was able to tell my children, and everyone, everything that happened in my life as an inspiration.
The attached picture is mine.