Jennifer Nelson
I. Intro
A. Mark 3:24&25 says “A kingdom divided by civil war will collapse. Similarly, a family splintered by feuding will fall apart.”
B. In my early high school years my family was falling apart because of all the arguing we did with one another. It finally came to a point where we just stopped talking to one another to avoid conflict. That’s when I moved in with my grandparents.
C. I didn’t know how much I could truly care for someone until I learned to care for my Grandma Jackie. I was there to help her and my Grandpa while they both recovered from surgery but they ended up helping me to recover. I was having a hard time, I don’t think I knew what a family was supposed to do for one another but they showed me. I had no idea that spending lots of time with them would compel me to mend relationships with my parents and brother.
II. Past
A. In 2010 when my grandma got an MRI they discovered that she had a cancerous tumor in her brain. She went into surgery immediately.
B. My grandpa Stanley was just about to undergo surgery himself on his knees so when it was time to bring my grandma back from the hospital he called in some nearby help from me and my mom.
C. We ended up living with them for the next two and a half months.
III. Learning
A. As my grandma grew in strength and learned to use her body again she showed me how people should act.
B. I can’t remember her once complaining, talking negatively, or thinking she couldn’t do it. And instead of worrying about herself and the frustrating things she was going through like learning to feed herself again she would always turn and ask what she could do to serve me. I can’t remember ever asking her to do anything because just her asking was enough.
C. She loved me and that’s what had been missing in my life.
IV. Conclusion
A. It took time away from my family to realize how to solve my family’s problem which was actually quite simple. All we needed to do was love each other and put each other first.
B. My grandma was such a blessing in my life. I’m so thankful for her. Since I have returned home I have done my best to be like her and show others how much I care, so that they might care also. And although we still fight sometimes I can see how much better it has gotten and I know what it feels like to be loved and do all that I can.
C. A statement I have found through this experience to most definitely be true is by Harold Kushner, an American rabbi and popular author. He said that “Caring about others, running the risk of feeling, and leaving an impact on people, brings happiness.”
QUESTIONS:
1. I felt that my speech being so personal worked well.
2. I could definitely improve my delivery! I know I am weak in this area.
3. My favorite speeches were Madison and Jonathan's. Madison's was fun and humorous. Jonathan's definitely caught my attention and kept me engaged. I also liked Stephanie and Renee's because you could tell the growth in their stories.
4. I seemed to lacking in the previewed body of speech area.
5. Not much except that the longer I talked the more nervous I got.
6. I just wrote it all out because I knew I would forget most of it if I didn't do that. I consulted the book "The Art of Public Speaking" when I got stuck on how to start it. I also practiced saying it to my close friend Aubrey and her roommate about a million times and then a few to myself.
