The Lemons Will Keep Coming by Sarah Penry

It was almost my turn to give my testimony. I sat in my chair and racked my brain for ideas. Should I use my feelings of loneliness as a child? Should I tell everyone about my parents separation? What would make the most impact on the group of children's camp campers that I was about to address? Who was I kidding; I knew better than to represent myself in such a way. I believe that a success story does not need to begin with the phrase, I went through hardship, but I was able to overcome.

My life has been frustrating. Since I was born, I have been told how smart, beautiful, and full of worth I am. My parents have been incredibly supportive in all of my endeavors and have, for the most part, not exceeded their authority. You're asking, Frustrated? Why in the world would you be frustrated? I feel that my story and philosophies have lost most of their worth in this world full of one ups and exaggerations. I have not had the opportunity to inspire others for the simple reason that my story is uncomplicated and relatively free of adversity.

I do believe that adversity is virtually unavoidable. Everyone will reach a point in his or her life when times are difficult. I, however, do not believe that the hard times define a person's life. I feel that it is easy for a person to rely on the hard times for an inspiring message rather than relying on the actual qualities that have defined him or her. Rather than being defined by hard effort and everyday challenges, many people choose to pinpoint their most dramatic instances as if only moments of highly concentrated drama can make an impact.

I believe that the world needs to re-measure the standard of hardship. I personally believe that no sin is greater than another; this same concept applies to hardship. A hardship is a hardship and every person must deal with the lemons life throws at him or her. No matter how the world weighs difficulty, I believe that the same situations on paper can have drastically different results in real life. When my parents went through their brief separation, it did not have a huge impact on my life. In the same situation, another person may feel and experience more severe emotions. A person may struggle with feeling lonely; a similar person may not understand their emotions and disregard their struggle.

I believe that the basic problem followed by solution speech format should be avoided when addressing the story of life. The truth is, every person will have multiple problems followed by multiple solutions and once again followed by many problems. The cycle will never end. Therefore, I believe that a person will never truly overcome hardship in general. It is a basic life process.

It is not the hard times that define a person's life, it is how he or she continues to live life despite the ups and downs. I believe that a success story does not need to begin with the phrase, I went through hardship, but I was able to overcome The simple story of continuous strength in the midst of continuous adversity should be the impact point.

I went up to give my testimony. I stood in front of an audience yearning for impact and delivered my personal story. It wasn't scandalous. It wasn't exaggerated. It was simple. I believe in hardship, and I will continually be able to overcome.