Josephine Icaro
John B. Conally High School
Class of 2007
“You know a dream is like a river
Ever changing as it flows
And a dreamer’s just a vessel
That must follow where it goes
Trying to learn from what’s behind you
And never knowing what’s in store
Makes each day a constant battle
Just to stay between the shores”
When I was little, my father and I loved to listen to the satiny smooth voice of Garth Brooks as his music permeated the air. My father often played Brooks’ “The River” on our old stereo. Whenever we listened to this song, my father’s eyes would light up. We would both hum along in delight, and on rare occasions, we would waltz in time to the lilting tune. To this day, I still love listening to this son.
My father especially loved playing “The River” during the cold winter nights when the whole family was curled around the fireplace. Three years ago on a frigid Christmas Eve, my family was huddled around the amber flames of the fireplace listening to the cherished tune. As Brooks’ voice flowed through the air, I looked over at my parents and was startled to see tears streaming down their faces. As my father caught my inquisitive stare, he said softly, “I have cancer.” I was speechless. For me, news of his malady was by far the worst “Christmas gift” I had ever received. The whole family was solemnly quiet as Brooks’ voice filled the heavy silence” “I’ll never reach my destination / If I never try / So I will sail my vessel / ‘til the river runs dry.”
In his song “The River,” Garth Brooks sings about the dreams that flow from the deepest desires of our hearts, the trials and tribulations that help strengthen our pursuit of our dreams, and the ambition needed to achieve our aspirations – all of which are values I have learned from my father and throughout my own life journey. “The River” has become my source of inspiration and my father has become my source of strength.
My dream is to become an oncologist, a doctor who studies cancer. My desire to pursue a career in medicine was heavily influenced by my father when he was diagnosed with lymphoma cell cancer nearly three years ago. My father once said, “By using your heart as your compass, you can see more clearly where your true calling lies.” And it was at the time we received news of his cancer that I realized what my true calling was.
I realized that my pursuit of a career as an oncologist could give me the opportunity to benefit my father and those like him – those who refuse to give up, those who refuse to let a disease bring them down, and, like me, those who refuse to have their spirits broken. My father is my inspiration to hope, to heal, and to reach out to others.
My father’s strength, courage, and spirit remain unbroken – and his heroically admirable qualities inspire me to help him fight his battles. Ever since he was diagnosed, I have dedicated my life to promoting medical research, in hopes of curing people of their diseases. My father has endowed me with not only the academic provisions for successful years in medical school, but also the real-world skills that can help me excel in life.
Working hard and pushing myself to be my best are two ideals that my father has instilled within me. Throughout my voyage on the “river,” known as life, my father has been there to support me. Through his encouragement and guidance, I have realized that the infinite supply of wisdom and education provided by a career in medicine will give me the power to benefit society.
A doctorate degree in medicine means the fulfillment of my highest aspirations, the promise of an occupation that enables me to care for others, the confidence to perform at my very best, the ideals to succeed in life, the opening to give back to society, the opportunity to assist in the breakthrough of a cure for cancer, and the fulfillment of my purpose in life – to serve others.
There are no words to express how genuinely my father has touched my life. My father has taught me many philosophies about healthcare – that where there is a love for medicine, there is a love for humanity. The practice of medicine is an art, not a trade, a calling, not a business, a calling in which my heart will be exercised equally with my mind.
Through my trials and tribulations, through my voyage down the “river,” I have realized that it is not always smooth sailing. In the words of my father, “Along the river are dangers, hindrances, and obstacles. But it is the journey, not the destination that helps us to realize that we have the strength to live our dreams.”
My father has taught me many priceless lessons. He has taught me that to live my dreams, I have to strive to be the best I can be, and take to heart the values and lessons that are unveiled on my journey down the river.
Wherever I go, I carry his most inspiring words in my heart: “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. Though the adversities of life may burden us down with thoughts of giving up, the greatest stories of success start with never giving in.”
“So don’t you sit upon the shoreline
And say you’re satisfied
Choose to chance the rapids
And dare to dance the tide”