Good Example Of Essay On A Significant Moment Of My Life

Everybody has a significant moment in his life. He cannot simply forget this moment until the time he died. Like any other children, I lived my childhood one day at a time. I never thought of the future because that is what most kids do – they live in the present and only the present. As time passed by, nothing has changed as I reached my teenage years. Still, there is nothing new. Just living every day and waiting for tomorrow without an expectation of a better future. However, at this age, all of my friends have already set a goal and each of them with a different dream, but not for me. I am just satisfied living each day and never looked towards my future – until one day.
One day, just like any other regular day, I sat down with my father and we started talking. It is a usual thing for me. We talked about my day and how it went just as usual. One thing that has changed this time is that my father shifted the course of the conversation. He started to talk with a serious tone that I never heard from him before. He sounded like he wanted to open my eyes to something very important. He asked me, “Son, what are your expectations for your life?” I am not sure why he asked me such a surprising question. Maybe, I thought, it is because my brother has constantly talked about how he wants to be a lawyer or my sister who regularly mentioned to him that she wants to open her own company.
I was the only one who never opened a conversation about my future. All I know that very moment is that I answered his question with the biggest smile on my face because I thought he was joking. “Oh, Dad! Please, I do not have expectations for tomorrow so let’s leave that to fate.” He looked at me somewhat disappointed and said, “Honey, life is going to come a little hard on you, so, better be prepared for it.” At the time, I sensed that my father is trying to say something bigger than my current life. The way my father said those words, used a serious tone, and expressed it through his face were all signs that my father was trying to deliver a life-changing message to me – for my future.
That time, because of my immaturity, I did not get the message immediately because, just like what I said before, I am never serious about anything. I am all about laughing, playing, and living the moment. Even though I reached an age where I have to start thinking beyond the ordinary occurrences in my life, I am a very immature person. Hence, my such words from my father sunk deep within me the first time I heard him say them. I stayed awoke the whole night reminiscing my father’s words to me. I just kept on feeling and hearing them within me as if he did not simply said them to me. My father’s words seem to transform me into someone he will someday be proud of me. I thought deeply that I really needed to take a moment with myself, reassess my life, and do something I have never done before.
It was not until the next morning when my father’s words struck me. I realized from that time on that life is not all about fooling around, having fun, and unmindful of what lies beyond the present. “There are great responsibilities waiting for me,” and so I told myself. Hence, the moment I considered the curve that changed the direction of my life, I continued to reflect on these thoughts: “I’m two years away from graduation: where am I heading with my life? What’s next?” Those questions kept on reminding me each day of my life until I fully comprehended them: “Life is going to come a little hard on you” and so better prepare for the best. Those words kept ringing in my mind. I felt like I am listening to a song in a CD and I am constantly repeating and hearing them. I did not believe that my disposition could change over one night and continue for the rest of my life. Nevertheless, I am pretty sure that I woke up a completely different person that day. My next step is to become an independent and better person.
Prior to the above life-changing incident, I used to be fully relied on my parents. I was 16 years old. I was as if I am a child holding his father’s hand, scared to let go, thinking that day I will have to let go of my father’s hand would not come. However, the time my father’s words made me realized to become a matured individual, I made a significant decision. For the first time, I decided to let go of my father’s hands and set a goal for my life. That is the proper way things should be for me to become a better person that day and in the days to come. I will only grow more as a person if I continue to learn how to face and value life.
My expectation for my life is that I want to study abroad. I want to learn new things, befriend individuals I meet, tolerant of other peoples’ culture, and appreciate new experience. Most importantly, I want to be the man who has the courage to live by himself in a foreign country. Even if I am physically away, not only from his parents but also from his friends and everything I am used to, change is a part of life. Despite of that, I would always cherish in my life my own family, friends, culture, and so on. I want to achieve my dreams, while at the same time, learn to know more about other people and the world we live in.
At first, my family opposed my decision, but it is understandable. Perhaps, they cannot just initially bear the emotional burden of my physical separation after all those memorable years with them. Moreover, society gives too much weight on family bonding. It is too strong that it is not easy to leave my family behind just for the sake of studying abroad. I have lived nearly two decades of my life with them; it is not that easy to let go for a moment. My brother, his wife, and his daughter, for instance, are still living with us because of my parents’ urging. My parents have become accustomed to extended family wherein, even when they grew older, their children are near them. That shows how that family bonding is so strong that it is hard to disentangle from such a family tradition and cherished social practice. I may have done the same, but I also want to try out new things in life (that is, studying abroad).
I spent the last two years of my high school years working very hard to raise my GPA. My reason is to get a scholarship to the U.S. I never thought that setting a goal motivated me to do my best in school. I felt like there is nothing that I cannot do. I felt more confident about myself. I have no doubt that eventually I will reach my goal. I will continue to see myself improve its lot every time the words of my father remind me. Now that I keep on maturing more, I realized how my father really loved me. He is deeply concerned of my life. Many, if not most, fathers want the best for their children. I am thankful that I have a loving father.
Initially, I explained my decision to my family, especially to my father. My parents hardly found it easy to accept my idea because their son will be separated from them physically. Although they wanted me to be independent, their concept of independence did not include me studying abroad alone in a faraway country. Eventually, I convinced them with my idea. Nonetheless, my mom had a hard time accepting my decision because I am not going to be around during my college years. Despite anything to that, I can still see in her eyes that she is proud that her little son is now a man. It is time that I give my mom a break of raising one of her four children.
I finally graduated from high school. It is time to say goodbye and face a new tomorrow. A new adventure awaits me that could shape my personality to become the new man I never thought of before. I am amazed by the sudden transformation in my personality. I did not realize first that I am really taking this huge leap and challenge in my life. I turned from a man who could not pay his ticket to a man managing his electricity, gas, and water bill. From a man who could not travel to a neighboring country to a man crossing the continent alone is something that did not cross my mind before – not even in my wildest dream. It is amazing how a little moment with someone deeply concern about my welfare could change me into a better person.
When I will look back and remember how I lived, I will find it hard to believe what I have become and reach in my life. I will always be thankful for my father for it. If it were not for his concern, I would still be the immature teenager who only knows how to live for the moment. Maybe, if not because of my loving father, I would still be the child who is holding his hand and does not want to let go. Nevertheless, I realized now that I am maturing even more each day that letting go is something that would make me realize that being an independent person would make me even more a stronger person. Thus, what I do know now is that a new man is born from that moment and a new story is written that very same day. It would never be the same again just as I am now a more matured and improved person.