Anthony Sanchez almost lost his life in 2015. He yelled at his Mexican dad. Bad mistake, but for the right reason.
His dad stared at the screen in agonizing pain because there was no coming back. It was the 2015 Mexican First Division soccer league final, and Papa Sanchez’s beloved Pumas squad went down 3-0 in a first-leg defeat.
Consequently, papa went on a tantrum, and Anthony yelled back, “Callate y cree en tu equipo,” or “Shut up and believe in your team.”
Pumas responded with a 4-1 second-leg victory to tie the aggregate score, although they eventually lost the championship game in penalty shootout. After the loss, Sanchez’s father consoled him and said, “they did everything they could.”
Despite the loss, Sanchez’s mindset displays two truths: one’s circumstance doesn’t disqualify one from having a chance, and if you believe for someone else, it may just change their mindset too. Sanchez applies both those principles daily while taking care of his non-verbal autistic brother.
Sanchez’s brother Johnny is 23 years old, a year younger than Anthony. Anthony has taken care of his younger brother for as long as he remembers. He doesn’t leave his greatest teacher behind. Sanchez decided to attend Arizona State University, or ASU, to stay close to his brother. He lets his teachers and employers know that his brother is his top priority.
“I’ve learned from him more than anyone else,” Sanchez said. “He has helped me grow in many ways, mostly in my patience.” Patience is required when caring for a disabled person. However, the virtue becomes even more necessary when one has to work to attend school.
There was a point when he wondered if he could keep going. It’s easy to compare one’s life to the next person’s in trialing times, and Sanchez fell into this trap. He made a brave move and took agap semester to recover mentally before heading back to ASU mid-way through his sophomore year.
The fast-paced status quo presented in America often forsakes the pertinence of rest. The chase isn’t worth one’s peace of mind. Nevertheless, some may deem Sanchez weak for doing so, but it’s time for a man’s strength to be measured by his humility to surrender to vulnerability.
Sanchez is back at school, and though the hard times don’t vanish, he is cognizant of the therapeutic sources in his life.
