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I always thought that my uncle Martin would always be there for me, always wanting to talk about our favorite sport, soccer. Our dream was to go to a World Cup. But one late cloudy afternoon, those dreams were shattered. I was expecting to have a normal afternoon like every day, but it was not.
<pre><code>As I came into the house, I saw my parents with tears in their eyes. I asked what was wrong, which my father replied with, I have very bad news .your uncle has been diagnosed with spinal cancer. Concerned, I asked if there was anything we could do to help him. The hospital says they will put him in chemotherapy, but do not expect him to last long.
I quickly realized what a big uphill battle my uncle faced. I knew of the emotional burden and the financial burden my family will now face.
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I learned a lot from my uncle. He was a hard-working man that spent most of his time fixing electronics at his home. He would work until past midnight, and wake up early in the morning to begin again. Why did he do this? So his family could have some money to live on. He was a generous man, always sharing whatever extra money he had with his brothers and sisters who were facing financial difficulties. The hard labor that I saw him perform during his long hour sessions made me realize that I have to make something of myself in life, go to college, get a good job, so I would not have to live my life paycheck to paycheck.
My uncle knew this also. He would stress this fact to me and all of my cousins, stay in school, go to college, and maybe you wont end up like me, working hard just to get by in life. When one of my older cousins decided to drop out of college, my uncle was the first one to talk to him about it. When my cousin came up with the issue of money to pay for college, my uncle promised him to help him out with his fees. The result, my cousin is now about to graduate from college, with a good paying job already waiting for him.
My dad called me into his room one day, and had a long conversation with me about my allowance, stating that he would need to cut it in order to pay for the hospital bills. I whole-heartily agreed with him. In that moment, I decided to take up a job at the ripe age of fourteen. I worked with my uncle who was a construction worker. I worked hard just like my uncle did before his illness. I realized what it was to work long hours for minimal pay. And just like my uncle had been generous, I was too. I gave half of my paycheck to my uncles family, who were depending on our generosity for money.
One sunny afternoon after school, I arrived home just to find everybody leaving in a hurry. I knew what it was; I tried my best to hide my tears from my little sister who was still confused about the ordeal. On April 21, at 2:37 pm, my uncle passed away.
Although he might not be here, his words still echo in my mind. Stay in school, go to college, and maybe you wont end up like me, working hard just to get by in life. These words inspire me to be successful in college, to be successful in life.