Lola, I love you. My speech competition on Friday will BE FOR YOU.
K this is my transcript for the regionals on friday.
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I am dying to graduate from high school. I am dying for more freedom. I am dying to drive, to meet my one true love. I am dying to live a better life.
These are the things I say on a daily basis. The phrase “I am dying to” is a very common expression. We all have heard it being said. In this manner, dying refers to wanting and desiring something greatly. It is expressive of a passionate longing for something. However, this phrase also reflects how oblivious we are to death. This phrase does not show a single cent of what dying truly is.
However, last February 3rd. I faced the reality of dying. My dad called my family in the Philippines and handed the phone to me. On the phone, I heard the voice of my grandmother. Usually, I hear a very lively and happy voice. However, that voice became weary and almost unrecognizable.
Two weeks before that phone call, my grandmother was diagnosed with a serious condition of pneumonia. A few days after, she was cured from the pneumonia virus, however, another struggle was found. A mass was found in her lungs which continues to impede on her breathing. Currently, she uses an oxygen tank in order to obtain enough air. The doctors said that she is experiencing severe pain because of the found mass in her lungs.
I heard this pain on her voice. Hearing this brought the memories we had together right before my eyes.
My grandma raised me up. My parents were both working abroad since I was very young. My grandmother took the responsibility of taking care of me while they were away. She’s the best cook, she sewed a lot of my dresses since I was a baby. She was the one I ran to when puberty started to kick in. Every single day with her was filled with her stories about her life. You can probably imagine the ties that I have with her. Despite the closeness, I have never said the three words “I love you” because I have always been afraid of showing affection to family members.
I was so busy growing up, being able to graduate from high school and to have more independence that I forgot my grandmother was aging. The very person who raised me up, the person who moulded me to be who I am, the very person who showed me what love is, is now almost at the end of her journey.
I used that phone call as an opportunity to make her feel loved. She may be miles away but she’s in my heart and I am in hers. It was my very first time to say that I love her. I was both filled with tears and joy. I felt joy because I was able to say those three words. I felt sadness because I knew that I should have told her that I love her as many times as I could before.
I am using today’s speech competition to ask you for one thing. After tonight, pick up the phone, write a letter, send an email or better yet, tell the people you love in person how much they mean to you. Let them know that you love them. Make them feel special. Hug them, kiss them. Embrace and create more memories with them. Stop wasting time. Forget your ego, forget your shyness, for at least one brief moment, forget about yourself and think about your loved ones. Say it, say those three words as if it was your very last chance. Tell them, tell them you love them.
