Narrative Speech

Ateeq ul haq

28128

I. Intro (Approximately 20 seconds)

Picture a crisp autumn evening, the air filled with the subtle scent of fallen leaves, and
imagine standing at the crossroads of vulnerability and strength. (Gesture with hands to portray
emotion) we’ve all faced unexpected challenges that reshape our lives. Today, (Pause) I share a
personal journey that unfolded at a tough time in my life – a journey many of us may find echoes
of in our own lives.

II. Body (Approximately 2 minutes)

In the body of your speech, you should have 2–4 main points that represent key moments or
changes in the plot of your narrative.

A. Exposition
This story revolves around the canvas of resilience painted during a challenging time
in my life, (Sigh) where unexpected news altered my reality. Growing up I never
really cared about relationships within my family. Living in a joint family with our
grandparents and cousins we were always being shouted at by them for running
around and playing games. I took everything for granted, running around their house
making noise, then asking for treats and chocolates all the time. Never did I think that
times like these would hold soo much meaning in my heart.(pause)

B. Rising action
Back in 2020, it all began with a phone call. My grandmother, the family's pillar, got
diagnosed with covid 19 along with a lung infection. This revelation became the first
brushstroke on the canvas, setting the stage for a transformative experience. As I
assumed the role of a supportive family member, each passing day became a nuanced
brushstroke on the emotional canvas. (Lower tone) Hospital waiting rooms became
both sanctuary and battleground, where hope and fear engaged in a silent dance. In all
honesty, I still didn't take matters that seriously and continued living a carefree life.
There were always ups and downs regarding her health and whenever I went to meet
her she seemed to be dealing with it quite well. Everything looked like it was going
back to normal but I couldn't have been more wrong. ( make it believable with
actions)
 C. Climax
. It was Friday afternoon, the clouds had covered the horizon and a gentle breeze was
passing through. It was a very peaceful and tranquil day, with no noise or any sort of
disruption. This silence gets disturbed by the ringtone of my phone. It was my father.
His voice trembling and words couldn't escape from his mouth, as he slowly told me
that my grandmother had passed away.( stutter) My body wasn't physically able to
move anymore. Everything around me started to turn darker with the cover of the
clouds getting thicker each second, thunder raging in the sky and my heart completely
shattered. All the peacefulness had disappeared and the sounds of screaming and
crying started echoing in the house. We rushed to the hospital as soon as we could
and just watching the pale face of my grandmother resting on her death bed caused
tears to roll out of my eyes.( show sadness)

D. Falling action
To think of someone who I never considered to be an important part of my life
changed my whole perspective on life. I suddenly started to feel like the bad guy for
never telling her how much she meant to me and not giving her the flower she
deserved for looking after our family. I had been to many funerals before but I could
never understand what they were going through and hence couldn't grieve with them,
but now I finally understood what it means to lose someone important in your life. it
angered me how insignificant this death was to others at the funeral as people were
smiling talking, and having a good time while our family couldn't even wrap our
heads around what had just occurred.

III. Conclusion (Approximately 30 seconds.)

I then realized that family relations are core to any person's happiness even if it does
not feel that way. After this incident, I started viewing everything differently and soaked up
every second of my life. I learned that you can never take anything for granted, especially
someone's life so you need to make them feel wanted and express whatever you feel before it
becomes too late. In the end, this experience which some of you might also have experienced
was not only a test of my spirit but a lesson to appreciate life and the blessings that come with it.