Thanksgiving is a time where I am able to share my appreciation of the special things in my life, such as my family and friends. As important as those things are, when do we show our appreciation for more minute things, such as moving our fingers, or the ability to walk and eat by ourselves?

During this past summer, my cousin, Sharad, was challenged in these abilities. Because of a very devastating fire, he was severely injured, and was put in the hospital. During a series of surgeries, his family was able to notice how difficult it was for him to lift his arms or turn his neck, things that should come naturally to him. My aunt would feel saddened by talking to her 20-year old son like a little child, congratulating him after moving his hand a little higher, which showed that he was improving. The doctors would always tell his family how determined he was, always struggling to finish his exercises. He was also extremely selfless, always inquiring about how his family was dealing with the issue, for he was not able to cope with them at home.

Due to the fact that Sharad was hospitalized for a consecutive amount of weeks, he was obligated to take time off of school. He was so anxious to get back to his work, and I was informed about a certain instance, in where his class was taking a math test and his doctor told him he wouldn’t be in good enough shape to take the test on the given date. He urged the fact that he wanted to take the test, and went after school one day. When his teacher noticed he was struggling while writing, he offered to give the test orally but Sharad insisted on taking the written exam. The test took him a good hour and a half, and he left with his hand in excruciating pain, yet he received a wonderful score of 92% on it. This is just one of many situations which shows the strong determination he had during the terrible ordeal.

Now, Sharad is doing much better, and is able to stay at home with his family. He is only taking one class at college, and will not be able to graduate with his friends, but still has a positive attitude about life. Throughout the entire situation, he remained calm, assuring his family that soon he would get better. A hero can be thought of as somebody who has committed an act of remarkable bravery or who has shown great courage, strength of character, or another admirable quality. Sharad fits the definition of all those points. He is someone who fought past a difficult obstacle in his life, with modesty and enthusiasm. He, I believe, is one of the bravest, strongest people that I know and I am so impressed with his handle on this past experience.

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