In September of 2020, my family received news that would change our lives forever. While already battling COVID and quarantine, my mom was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer. The original plan was for my mom to have one surgery and be finished. The cancer turned out to be more aggressive and spread further than expected. In the end, it took 4 surgeries, 18 rounds of chemotherapy, and a pill regiment she continues to this day to be fully in remission. Through this battle my family and I have had to go through drastic lifestyle changes and learn how to live this new normal. Our first major change came from simply doing things around the house with my dad. While recovering from surgeries and chemotherapy my mom obviously couldn’t participate in regular household activities. In 2020 my little brother was only 9, so many of these responsibilities fell to my dad and eventually to me as well. This prompted a new family dynamic of my dad and I balancing responsibilities and caretaking. As my dad drove my mom to doctors appointments and surgeries I stayed home taking care of my little brother and working on my online school. This balance took time to find, but made us stronger overall. I learned new adult responsibilities, and how to work with my dad to manage the family and the house as best as we could while simultaneously taking care of ourselves and each other. This strengthened my bond with my dad, as an adult who can get things done and be responsible enough to take care of the people I love. My little brother has special needs and requires extra attention, care, and time. Me being a more prominent care taker put strain on our relationship at times. It was hard for him to see me as a teacher and listen as an adult while I was still only 12. We pushed and worked to find a newer mutual respect that still allowed us to care for each other and spend time together as brothers. Despite going through these rocky patches, our dynamic strengthened overall. My brother and I are now best friends with a truer, deeper understanding of each other, a glimpse of the good that came from such a traumatic, difficult time. Next came my growth with my mom and myself, as a son and someone she could be proud of. As soon as she was diagnosed, I knew no matter what I needed to make her proud and keep growing myself as a person. I learned how to keep fighting academically and personally, developing a new work ethic to keep the house running while still keeping her safe and me successful. Upon spending time with my mom through her sickness, I saw the spirit of a true warrior who continued to fight for herself and her family. I also saw the fragility of life and how important making every moment last it. My mom taught me how to live as a strong person, cherishing the beautiful moments, and continuously growing myself and my strengths. I took her lessons and my growth with me out of quarantine and through high school. I pushed through high school, succeeding academically, improving as a person, and being stronger through my family. I am now going to go to college as someone who will always see the power of progress, the beauty of life, and the strength in family.