Is this too much of a sob story to write my essay on?

[sirjosh]

<p>My brother died of cancer when we were very young. I was thinking of writing, for the "Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence" prompt, about his bravery, unwillingness to give up, and good attitude even when he was facing terminal brain cancer and aggressive chemotherapy. I'm a little concerned that it's too much of a sob story.</p>

<p>He died about 10 years ago, yes. But it wasn't until about 5 years ago that I truly began to understand how horrible the whole thing was, particularly since my dad was diagnosed with lymphoma. He was on a fairly low-dose chemo, and he was like the living dead. It wasn't until recently that I came to appreciate said bravery, unwillingness to give up, and good attitude.</p>

<p>(And yes, me posting this twice was a mistake.)</p>

[Scutrules]

<p>I think you could make it a really nice essay about your brother. If you talk about what he truly meant to you and how he’s influenced your life, it won’t sound like a sob story. I would still avoid cliche statements but that doesn’t mean you have to avoid the topic.</p>