How Gaming is Helping Me Deal with a Tragedy

I’ve been an avid gamer since my dad first bought me a Playstation for Christmas when I was 4. Ever since, I’ve enjoyed the plethora of fantastic experiences available in gaming, but I never thought of these games as much more than an entertainment source.

Until yesterday, when my mom told me that my father had just passed away.

I was heartbroken… I am heartbroken. I’m only 15, and the oldest of my brothers, and now suddenly I’m forced into a position where I have to grow up and help my family as best I can. Within minutes, my entire life changed. I was in shock, I couldn’t believe what happened, just the other day I was telling my dad I loved him, and now he is gone. 

I couldn’t wrap my head around what happened. I still can’t.

I had no idea what to do, so I tried to live my life as normal as I could, so after many tears had been shed, I went into my room to think. It was just too much for me, and I decided not to think about it and turn to my favorite activity: gaming.

I turned on my Xbox and began to play some of my favorite games, and while I did, I completely forgot about the world around me. All the tears, worries, and stress vanished without me even realizing it. That is when I realized the power of gaming.

I don’t know what I would do without gaming… scratch that, I know exactly what I would’ve done, sit in a corner and cry. But thanks to gaming, I was able to ease all that tension and just relax, something people take for granted these days. I’m still heartbroken, but now I’m able to move on. I’m able to go to football, talk to my friends, and live a normal life like my father would’ve wanted me to.

It wasn’t the words of my friends or family, nor the hours of weeping and stress that helped me move on, but the simple comfort of turning on a game and relaxing.

We often hear of games being used as a form of escapism as a bad thing, but I fail to see how that is so. By just sitting there and pushing some buttons, I was able to get up, comfort my mom and brothers, and help them get back on their feet in the same way gaming did for me.

Playing games obviously won’t make my problems go away, but it has certainly helped me deal with them. I love you Dad, thank you for everything you did for me.