I am sure that at one point in your life you have heard the phrase, “The decisions you make today will affect the way you live tomorrow.”

Now this is not some cliché that people say simply because it sounds good. It is a new year and a new semester — situations are bound to arise. The outcome of those situations may or may not be known.

Take a risk, or play it safe. Remember that the decisions we make in those situations will not only affect us, but in most cases, our loved ones as well.

I think the hardest decision to make is one that has an unknown outcome. For example, my father and my brothers’ mother both have traits of sickle cell. The odds were against them to have a child born sickle cell free. They made a tough decision and chose to have children anyway, not knowing the outcome.

Together they had two lovely boys, Mike and Marcus. Both were born with sickle cell, but the disease affected Mike the most.

My oldest brother, Mike, suffered from the disease his entire life. He had numerous surgeries and to top it off, he had to go to dialysis every other day because his kidney was beginning to fail. He could not get a transplant because his body was too weak for the operation.

Things took a turn for the worst when he turned 21 years old. His ailments began to have a domino effect. He started to spend most of his time in the hospital. It became his new home. Through it all, he never once complained. He was a true soldier.

My brother passed away a year ago at the age of 25, but I thank my father for choosing to have my brother, and I thank God for letting him stay on this earth for as long as he did. I cherish the short time I had with him.

My father’s decision to have my brothers has had a tremendous impact on my life.

If Mike were never placed in my life, I would not be the person I am today. He was not only my brother; he was my friend and my teacher. Anytime I needed to vent, he was there. If no one else was around, I could depend on Mike.

He taught me how to live life to the fullest. He stressed the importance of giving and showing love to loved ones because he knew that tomorrow was not promised to anyone. He also taught me how to have a sense of humor because I took life too seriously.

Most importantly, he taught me how to stand firm in the midst of a storm. I could never be as courageous as he was. I love you Mike and you will never be forgotten.

In a situation like this, I do not believe that there is a right or wrong way to handle it.

If I were in my father’s shoes, I too would have made the same decision to have children. My father took a risk twice. The outcome was not in his favor, but he still came out on top. My father had the honor of raising his own flesh and blood.

Others might have strayed away from my father’s decision, but it is up to you to decide whether the outcome is worth the risk.