Is Identity Really Important To Me?

My great-grandmother was the matriarch of my family. When I was in seventh grade, around thirteen years old, she passed away due to breast cancer. This misfortune created an extremely difficult time for me because, not only was I adjusting to the environment of junior high, but many other issues were occurring in my life; this was the third death that I was having to deal with. Unfortunately, one of the previous deaths (that I was still trying to hurdle through and come to terms with), had occurred almost exactly a year before the passing of my great-grandmother. The second death that I had gone through occurred only one or two months before my great-grandma has passed. All of this turmoil created numerous internal conflicts for me, but also taught me a key lesson to keep note of, for the rest of my life.

Family means the world to me in every aspect, but a person that means even more then that is my sister, Jordan. She paved my life for me without me knowing; she is always there for me and believes in me when I do not believe in myself. Jordan and I very similar in the way that if we had the chance to do everything together we would take every opportunity we could get. How our relationship developed was like every pair of young sisters, we did not get along very well when we were younger because we took the days we had together for granted. The day she left for college is when it really hit me that she was the biggest inspiration in my life. What made us as close was going through our parent’s divorce, it was a life changing experience, and I would have never gotten

Losing my mother, the most important person to me , was a life changing event that altered the way I see the world. Knowing that she is in a better place and at peace is everything I could've wanted for my mother. As me and my siblings grow older we miss her more every day. I have learned never to take someone for granted because we aren't promised forever with them. We have to make the most of who and what we

My aunt whom just so happened to be one of my role models passed away. I was devastated. Not only was I confused, but I was lost as well. A woman I looked up to was gone forever. I missed a few days of school and starting falling behind on work. It took me awhile to process my aunt's’ death. I finally realized that I have to move on. I knew that she would not approve of me being sad. I started remembering all of the positive memories my aunt left behind. I gained a tremendous amount of knowledge from her. Until this day, I carry what she taught me everywhere I go. I strive harder to make her

“Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” These words from Dr.Seuss still stand true, and are something I can relate to. I believe that you should always show your love and appreciation to your family members for what they do for you. Before my sister left for college, I didn’t realize how much I appreciated her and loved her for all the things she did for me.

Her passing has made me learn so much about myself and recognize what is truly important in life. I think about everything she has taught me or had tried to teach me all those years. I recall and replay her advice and knowledge inside my head like a broken record each time I am feeling super critical about my decisions and myself. Now that she is gone, I wish I could do it all over again and be a better son growing up. Even though I think about that on a regular basis, I have to remind myself that what done is done. She loved me no matter what. Use what I did growing up as a reminder to move forward and be successful. Most of all, I will always remember my mother for doing everything in her power to keep me moving

Many things have shaped me into the person I am today. Most of those things have to do with people dying or having near-death experiences or anything along the tragic things that can happen in one's life. Those things entail my Uncle Daniel's death, my dad's heart surgery, my cousin Laura losing her baby, and my great grandmother, Mimi, losing her life. Those things have made me realize the preciousness of life, deepened my faith, and made me a more compassionate person today.

This chapter concept was about being consciously aware that we communicate in multiple ways other than talking. Having a positive and healthy vibe is communicated with our confidence in who we are such as our personal interests, our functionality, and our awareness of our surroundings. It taught me to stay true to who i am and stand up for my beliefs. One component that i really enjoyed was, "Developing your interests and talents". This was all about developing one's identity through an artistic outlet. it encourages one to not be afraid of the unknown and to take risks to grow their hobby, into a skill. Relating to your environment's main points were to make one,s mark on their own environment. The action of getting out of the house and enjoying one's surroundings and also add to its growth.

I had to handle things I thought I wouldn't have to deal with for years. At 15 I shouldn't have been taking care of my mother, but it landed on my shoulders and I did what I had to do. Somethings had to be sacrificed. School and friends came second and while they were important I learned that the difference between being a child and an adult is understanding what is a priority. This experience showed me that some challenges we must face on our own. I could not fight my mother's cancer for her. Seeing her courageously go through all of this gave me an amazing example of perseverance and fortitude and an excellent example of what it is to be mature. She's taught me that every individual has a time where they must step up and grow up and though it may not be when expected, life doesn't give you anything you can't handle. I am proud to say I’ve persevered and become a better, more capable person because of

Although its not always easy, some days being worse than others, I keep persevering. I’ve developed life skills to help me overcome obstacles and I know I have built up the strength to be able to handle the worst of situations. It’s important to me to live every day to the fullest and never take time for granted. Life can be taken away so quickly, therefore its important to not leave any regrets, do what makes you happy, and always tell the people you love, that you love them. Although I don’t seem much different than my peers in most situations I encounter and most conversations I participate in, I will still always be the girl whose mom passed away. My experience is very meaningful to my life and I feel as if I wouldn’t be complete without sharing. The loss of my mom has impacted me significantly, shaping my personality and all other aspects of who I

I can still remember vividly the day my mother passed away. My mother passed away at a critical point in my life when I was seventeen years old from a short term illness. She was sick for a week and I remember thinking this could be serious, however, my mother declined to go to the hospital because of the distance and financial hardship. I had loss my father when I was three years old, so my mother was a single mother. I have step sisters and brother, but I was not particularly close to them. Losing my mother was a defining moment in my life for it changed my life irrevocably. I was devastated, but I had to become strong, proactive and it spurred me to choose a new career path.

I clearly remember the day I found out about my granddad's passing. I was at school. It was a normal, joyful day. My dad was planning on picking me up, but instead my friend's mom picked me up. He would not tell me why, but I did not think much of it. I remember the car ride to my house. My friend's mom would not tell me why she was driving me home; all she told me was, "Just know, Ryan, that we will be here for you no matter

For example, my grandfather Jerry was a doctor and my Great Aunt Margaret and Pat were nurses. Anytime I was sick, my mom would always call her dad up and talk to him rather than rushing me to a doctor. When I was in the 7th grade, it was one of the hardest times of my life, Jerry was suffering from heart attacks and fluid in his lungs. I had never been exposed to the feeling of loss until he passed away. Losing one of my role models and someone that I cared deeply about made me a stronger person. Since his passing, I have seen more and more of my aunts and uncles than I had before, and growing strong relationships with all of them.

“Some…memberships are more salient than others; and some may vary in salience in time and as a function of a variety of social situations” (Tajfel, 2-3) Salience of identity, in the way that we need to understand it in the case of perception and decision making, can be operationalized as the likelihood that a particular identity will be invoked within a certain situation that the individual is being faced with (Hogg, Terry, & White, 257). As mentioned previously, everyone holds various identities but salience is the process through which we subconsciously decide which we be used to base our decision making or preferences on. “The salience of a particular social identity for an individual may vary from situation to situation and indeed from

     The most important event in my life, didn’t even happen to myself, but happened to my older sister, Becky. The reason I am writing about her is because the things that have happened to her and the things she has done in the past have affected me tremendously as well as my family. Her life used to be filled with nothing else but drugs, stealing, and lying. My family has never been the same since then.