P.O.T.S

Hi Lilly, this was spectacular. I can't explain to you how amazing this personal essay is to me and how many different meanings I got from it. The ending message in this really impacted me, it made me realize that a few words can really help someone

This essay was great. I loved your quirky phrases to relieve sadness. I think it was very brave of you to share something personal like this. I loved the part where you related a movie to your life. What is the status with your cousin today? I hope you both stay strong through the hard times and pull through to keep up your amazing bond.

I am left thinking about how just the presence of one can mean a lot for someone who is struggling through an event or condition. I can connect to this because whenever I have been around someone who is going through something, whether a condition or event of some sort, I always feel like I should make up some sort of speech to help the person feel more comfortable. The writing style expressed a lot of emotion, and "What will happen next?"

This was so amazing to read. Your descriptions were unbelievable, I was getting a little emotional while reading. I agree with everyone else's comments, the big understanding is about how people need comfort in their hard times, I'm really glad you shared this with all of us, it truly was a beautiful story.

Woah! This is such a powerful piece. The way you demonstrated your entire thought process and you feelings allowed me to understand and feel for you. I really enjoy your theme of just being yourself and "being there". Is your relationship with your cousin any better now?

When I reached the end, I was thinking about how much fear of change can affect relationships, but also how you shouldn't think too much about how to react if something does change. I liked how you described your feelings throughout the entire essay, as well as how you detailed on your relationship with your cousin.

Lilly! This piece is so beautiful! The descriptive language and voice sound like a professional author wrote this! I especially like your comparison of, "Like the embers of an old flame, we were afraid of going out". I also really loved when you talked about not knowing what to say and comparing it to needing lines from a director. The end makes me happy. I am happy that you realized just being with her helped her, and that you didn't need to have perfect conversations. I was actually pretty shocked by the topic, though. I have P.O.T.S. myself and it hardly affects my relationships, however my condition is not severe. I really enjoyed this piece because I related to Amanda but it also makes me warm-and-fuzzy happy that you figured out you just needed to support her in a difficult situation

Wow. Like Kaitlyn said, your essay was really really good. I love how you tied in your story with that one statement at the end. Your metaphors were put together beautifully and your comparison to a scene from a movie really allowed me to connect in a way to your story. Well done!

^ I completely agree. When someone is in a tough situation that may not have a clear solution, it is really hard to think of what to say to console them. I think that this is something that everyone has to struggle with at some point in their life. Your understanding of how to give support to someone in this position is very inspiring. I actually feel like reading this essay helped me understand how to give my love to someone in this situation the next time I have to. Also, your writing style is great. Your words flowed naturally and I felt like I got to know you better through this essay.

This essay was beautiful. There was so much emotion behind it and you really showed your thought process well. The conclusion you came to in the end was really insightful, and also completely true; you don't necessarily need to say something inspiring to support someone.