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Third worst day: Best friend was hit in a gang related shooting right in front of me. He had absolutely no connection to the gangs and was shot once in the stomach, and again in the side of the head. He died on the way to the hospital, as I was following in my car. The suspects were released on a technicality.
Second worst day: Grandfather (mother's father) first starts showing serious signs of Alzheimer's. I must have been maybe 10, and my favorite person in the world, my mentor and friend, had trouble remembering who I was. After 10 years of conversations about philosophy, religion, science, and history, it was like watching as his mind was replaced by nothingness and confusion.
Worst day of my life: I was born with a severe coarctation of my aorta. I had heart surgery at 5 and was never able to do strenuous exercise because of it (no sports, no military career). Before I got married (the best day of my life), I went in to get tested, and found out that my children had an 8% chance of being born with a similar defect. Ever since I can remember I have wanted to be a father, and I found out that there is a frightening chance that my children's lives would be put in danger by my bad genetics.
Thankfully, my daughter was born as perfect as any person ever was. I still worry about my future children though.
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