Last summer was a very life changing experience for me. I was so excited for everyday, I would wake up early and go to bed late; there was no time for sleeping. I was going, going, going all day, everyday, and I loved it. I always had things to do, and I was always excited to wake up in the morning and experience and learn new things. The time I spent was always with happy, friendly people, and it taught me to live every day like it's your last.

Before last summer I was in a very negative and hurtful relationship. I was with a guy who controlled me, lied to me, and abused my thoughts and my feelings. I was never allowed to do anything I wanted to do, like go out to movies with my friends, go shopping with my sister, or even stay the weekend at my mom's house. He never trusted my judgment and thought that I would let someone convince me to do something idiotic. I was lonely, depressed, and never did anything but hang out with him. Finally it came to the point where things had to change.

In the last couple weeks of school last year, a very drastic thing happened in my life. My mom called me one morning before school and told me I had to come help her; Mike, the man she was living with at the time, was hurting her she said, and she needed my help. So I rushed down there and when I was on my way I called my current boyfriend. I told him my mom was in trouble and I was skipping school to come help her. He told me I was ignorant for going down there and that my mom was no help in my life and I should forget about her and leave her to deal with her own problems. I was furiated at this because he had no idea how serious this was. I hung up the phone on him and decided that I needed to forget about him and start making decisions on my own.

When I got to my mom's house and walked into the door I saw her sitting on the couch, fidgeting and acting really weird. She told me that Mike had been convincing her to smoke meth with him. I was so scared, but calm and we talked for a moment and I suggested that she take a shower and calm her nerves. But when she was done things started to get hectic. She started hallucinating and running into the road at random cars and asking for help. She was getting too out of control and I asked her to stop but she was getting out of my control. So I called 911 and they took her where she would be safe.

If I had listened to my ex, my mom could have been in serious trouble. I was done living in a hole and broke up with him right after this. This showed me to stop living in a hole and to do things on my own. Spend your time around people that make you happy, there's no time for conflict or being sad. This is why I believe that you should live everyday like it's your last...