Alora’s life had not gone as she had planned. On her nineteenth birthday, both her parents passed away in a car accident after a deer jumped in front of their gray Cadillac. Alora was very close with her parents and almost skipped their funeral because of how heartbroken she was by their deaths. She cut off ties to friends and family members, preferring to live in solitude. No one could hurt her if she was alone. What Alora did not realize was that by adopting this solidarity lifestyle she was hurting herself more than anyone else would have. She dropped out of the college that she spent her whole childhood working towards. All of the time and energy spent on her future was wasted. Alora had no motivation in life; she formed a routine of going to work, paying bills, and sleeping. When she turned twenty-three, her older sister called and said she developed lung cancer. Alora cried every day that her sister was alive but would not leave her house to visit her in the hospital. The news of her sister’s death left her feeling regretful and lonelier than ever. She began to skip work, only going in a few times a week until she was inevitably fired. It was at this point she admitted to herself that she was depressed. Alora knew that eventually she would have to pick herself up and get her life back on track. Although she occasionally thought of death, she knew she did not want to die. There was so much in life that she was missing and she was determined to find happiness. For the next two years, she worked multiple jobs, forcing herself to stay busy. If that was the only way to stop the pain then that’s what she would do until she no longer felt any. She re-enrolled in college, finishing her bachelor’s degree and applying to work as an accountant for a small business. She saw one of her old friends there, whom she had not heard from in years. They quickly reconnected and started spending time together, talking about everything that happened since high school. Alora found out her work acquaintance had also suffered from depression after the tragic death of her closest friends. Their apartment lit on fire while they were sleeping, but by the time firefighters arrived they had passed away from carbon monoxide poisoning. The two women joined group therapy to help them recover from their past traumatic experiences. Alora was finally feeling happy again when she realized her twenty-fifth birthday was arriving. It had been almost six years since her parents passed and the memories of them were painfully nostalgic. She awoke the next day to a call from her friend. “Hey, I got you a present,” she announced. “Come outside and I will give it to you.” Alora changed into warm clothes and opened her front door. Waiting for her on her porch was her friend, holding a fluffy white husky with large blue eyes. Around its neck was a bright red bow and a collar that said Rocco. Her friend handed her the small dog, and it began to lick her face. Tears begin to form in the corner of her eyes but she was smiling at the puppy.
“Happy Birthday Alora!”
by Leah M.