Magnanimous People & Momentous Events

Magnanimous People / Momentous Events

Throughout our lives there are certain circumstances that greatly affect us in such a way it can change who we are.   For better or for worse, life happens!   The funny thing is, anything can change you -- a movie someone watches, or falling off a bike -- these things are relatively insignificant, but they can affect a person.   People, however, often have the biggest impact on our lives.   There was one person who definitely changed me.   His name was Julio Sanchez and sadly he passed away at a very young age on November 17th, 2005.

Julio and I were inseparable from the day we met.   Though we were only nine years old we connected with each other and formed a lifelong bond of friendship that was truly special.   Julio and I met at a time when I was going through a difficult period.   Two years earlier, my father left our family and moved to Michigan with a woman he met "on line".   I reacted by being rude, obnoxious and difficult to get along with.   You could say every kid had his/her little tantrums but I took the terror to a different level.   That all changed when I met Julio.   Everyone noticed the change almost immediately.   My mother told me that my teachers were all very impressed. This change in my personality also resulted in a desire to learn and do better in school.   The improved academic standing helped me to be placed in a middle school that offered a special program with advanced classes in math and science.

Julio and I did not attend the same middle school.   Sadly, Julio's family moved to Long Island while I stayed in Queens.   However, the increased distance did not take away from the intensity of our friendship.   We still saw each other every other weekend and called each other more than once a day.   After a while, we were together as more than just friends.   By the age of eleven we both figured out what a [romantic] relationship was.   It was the longest relationship I’ve been in throughout my life.   Before...