Welty's Journey

I travel through the years and discuss how she has contributed to my growth and development as a person. My recounting ranges from our inside jokes to the loss I felt when she went off to college. My goal in the writing of this essay was to draw attention to the role models in life that are often overlooked due to their age. In this essay, I touch on this concept often by returning to the fact that Lauren and I grew

Thus, it is evident that deeply personal moments of one’s past are made significant by the bittersweet nature of life and the inevitability of death which are a part of the human condition. This also reflects the inevitability of growth from innocence to maturation.

The reading made me think of how homesick I feel, and not having my mom in the same place as me. It makes me think of the times my mother would come into my room in the mornings to get me up for school, because of how important it is to her and my father that I get an education and make something of myself. Everyone has hopes and dreams, but not many get to follow through with them, because sometimes life just gets in the way. I feel this is why our parents or elders do what they can to help us be better people for ourselves and others, while striving to accomplish our dreams.

The more I spend outside reminiscing of my past while I look at my yard, the more I continue to feel nostalgic of my past, albeit many others would probably have the same memories of their past if they reminisced as long as I have today. I feel as though life does not get better as you age, but the best moments in life are experienced when we are young as these are also the moments we remember the most of. But it does not matter how I feel, for life keeps on going despite your feelings of it; I am reminded by this when I look at the insects and bugs waddling around in the grass just as I have seen it so many years before. I see people going to work and coming home from work everyday like a computer program that has been programmed to do one thing and do it correctly for the rest of their lives; it’s similar to all life and patterns can be seen everywhere, from the colossal trees towering over me to the miniscule insects crawling around underneath

After reading the excerpt from Sister Joan Chittister’s book, The Gift of Years: Growing Older Gracefully I couldn’t help but reflect on my life thus far. It as if Chittister takes her reader by the hand as she vividly paints this pathway leading them down a path of reflection on their own life and the legacy they are to leave to this world when they die. For myself, it caused me to reflect on how I feel about how I’ve lived my life thus far, on how others have perceived me, and ultimately if I was to die today what would my legacy be.

My parent’s struggles taught me to never accept defeat because there are endless possibilities for those who don’t give up. Their perseverance for a better life sparked a sense of determination in me that ignited a fuel for prosperity, and an optimism for bigger and better opportunities not only for me, but for my

Talking to my Friend’s Dad about life today and back when he was his twenties was interesting. I noticed he was very passionate about his answer and yet sound sad because he remembering his past and how things have changed. I believe he sound passionate because his generation is the hard working “baby boomer” generation and proud of what he accomplished even though the method to achieve were different back then. Also, when answering the question, he pointed to building and stating how things changed. For example, when talking about getting a job, he pointed to a building and said “back then if you wanted a job, you walk in and ask for it and they would give it to you.” I think he is pointing at stuff because he is a hand on person since he worked in manufacturing in his

“No human being could have passed a happier childhood than myself. My parents were possessed by the very spirit of kindness and indulgence. We felt that they were not the tyrants to rule

An author of children’s books claimed, “When you become a teenager, you step onto a bridge… The opposite shore is adulthood. Childhood lies behind… As you cross, it burns behind you,”(Gail Carson Levine). This quote reveals a hard truth of life.

Too often we get bogged down in our past, and in memories of events that we think define us and restrict us from moving forward. The truth is that we can decide today who we want to be. We may have some baggage, and we may have future dreams, but today is the only day where we can define who we are and what direction we want our lives to go.

“When adversity strikes, that’s when you have to be the most calm. Take a step back, stay strong, stay grounded, and press on.”- LL Cool J. I’ve been put on this pedestal that I have to do well or try my hardest at anything I do even if I don’t want to do it. Most importantly, I’ve been raised by my mother, who has served as two parents for both my little brother and me, as well as making sure we were well fed, clothed, and had a roof over our heads. I’m not excluding my biological father like he wasn’t part of my life, because he truly wasn’t. But, because of his absence and the stress that’s always on me due to me being the oldest, it has in some way made me cope with life differently than others would, and driven me to get me to where I am today.

younger self would aspire to be or look up to. Whether the deed big or small, like finding a cure to some sickness or just buying someone a coffee. Being a better person, learning and growing are the foundations to my own personal legend.

The coming of age experience teaches young adults many things ranging from life will throw you curveballs to sometimes you won’t be able to catch these curveballs. The point isn’t to sulk in the past of all the bad things that had happened to you, it’s to move past them to make you a better person. Coming of age experiences are important because they shape you into the person you are, even if they’re not particularly fun all the time. All your experiences carry value with them, they’re important to have because of lessons that they teach

I can see with more clarity, the pieces of my life fitting nicely together, coalescing the past to the future while revealing a glimpse of the unknown. In retrospect, aspects of life which were challenging and difficult to understand were all vital factors in the overall scheme and part of the original plan. Suffering is said to be a key element in life, one not easily understood, yet capable of bestowing blessings beyond the pain. It hasn 't always been apparent, but the challenges presented to me are what shaped me into the individual I am today.

There’s a lot we can learn from the stories of our past – if we tell them in such way that enables us to hear what they really have to say. This holds true with me and my life. To put it simply, the life I’ve lived up to this point has been nothing short of a beautiful (and bumpy) roller coaster ride! As I have grown up there have been many factors that have influenced me to take on or do certain things. These things, plus some of my individual choices, have contributed into what’s made me who I am today. And with that, I’m happy to say for this moment in time, I’m satisfied with the person I am and the path I’m taking.