Previous Challenge Entry
Topic: Endurance (03/22/04)
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TITLE: Stronger Than You Think By Faithaline Stanislaus 03/23/04 |
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“You okay Emmy?” asked Veronica who sat to her right.
“I’m fine,” Emily said shakily as she righted the chair. “I’m going to the bathroom.”
She rushed to the door of the office, only to find it blocked by Cameron Stevens, the new guy in marketing who she had a slight crush on.
“Whoa!” said Cameron, as he stepped back slightly to avoid a collision.
Meeting up with her crush only served to intensified Emily’s agitation.
Cameron leaned against the door jam, seemingly in no hurry to move. “You’re Emily aren’t you?” he asked. “I’m Cameron and I hear you’re the person to talk to for ideas for a fundraiser.”
“Please, not now,” Emily groaned inwardly.
“Uh, are you all right? You seem a little pale.”
“I’m fine,” Emily said in a hurried breath. “Could we talk about this later?”
“Sure,” said Cameron. He stepped to one side and Emily scurried past him. She darted down the hall to the ladies room. After making sure that all the cubicles were empty, she leaned against the sink and cried out, “Oh God! What is wrong with me?”
Emily had been having intermittent panic attacks since she was thirteen. It began when she woke up one night and discovered that her room was engulfed in flames. She later found out that she had lost both her parents in the fire.
Emily paced the tiled floor of the bathroom, as she tried to regain her composure. She caught a glimpse of herself in front of the full length mirror and stopped suddenly. Staring straight at her reflection she said, “You can do this!” Then lifting her chin with determination she ordered herself: “Breathe.” She took in a slow deep breath then let it out gradually. She repeated this several times, until she felt more relaxed. Then she walked calmly back to the office.
As Emily walked out of her office building that afternoon she heard a voice just behind her say, “Hey there!” She jerked, sending several papers in her hands scattering across the sidewalk.
“I’m sorry,” said Cameron, as he bent to gather up her papers.
“No big deal,” Emily lied, as she picked up papers alongside Cameron. The two reached for the final paper at the same time, and their heads bumped.
Cameron laughed, and Emily let out a giggle.
“Let me treat you to a milkshake at the diner down the street.” Cameron said, brushing back some hair that had fallen over his forehead. “It’s the least I can do after all the damage I’ve done.”
“I don’t know….” Emily replied. She disliked going to public places and would much rather have gone home.
“You said we could talk about fundraising later.”
“Oh yes, I did say that, didn’t I.”
“I didn’t mean to startle you.” said Cameron later at the diner. “You remind me of a kid in my youth group at church. Jimmy is a very nervous sort, and he’s been having panic attacks ever since he got into a car accident two years ago.”
Emily looked up sharply. “Really? You don’t know how good that makes me feel!”
Cameron gave her a puzzled look.
“I—I mean I’m not happy this happened to Jimmy—It’s just good to know that I’m not the only one.”
“You suffer from panic attacks?”
“Yes. Ever since I was thirteen, and I’m embarrassed to admit it.”
“Emily, there’s no need to be embarrassed. Everybody at work keeps talking about you—how you’re smart, dependable and full of great ideas. If you can be all of these things while you’re dealing with all of that anxiety, what do you think that says about you?”
“I don’t know,” said Emily tracing her finger around the rim of her glass. “What?”
“That you’re stronger than you think—you’re full of endurance. Hey, not just anybody can handle this.”
“I’m not handling ‘this’ very well.”
“Perhaps, but there are many people who would have caved under the pressure. Yet you’re still here—hanging in there. That convinces me that you’ve got what it takes to overcome this some day.”
“It really helps to hear you say that. Thanks Cameron.”
“Anytime.”