Over the past eighteen years, there is only one moment in my life that I consider to be a defining moment. As sad as it may be, my defining moment occurred on the day of my great-grandmother's death. She was without a doubt the strongest person that I have ever met, and on the day she died, she only continued to confirm this fact. The week prior to her death, everyone in my family knew she was starting to slip away. The day she died I came to visit and, unfortunately, say goodbye. When I entered the room, I instantly began to cry hysterically. I knelt down by her bed, and

she grabbed my hand and looked me dead in my eyes and said, "Everything is going to be okay." In that moment I knew that she was right, and in a way I became a stronger person.

I chose this experience as my defining moment because not only did I become a mentally stronger person, but my faith in God became exponentially stronger as well. All my life my family has told me to trust in God and believe that He had a plan for all of us, but it was not until that day did I actually believe it. That day, I had to trust in God to take care of the most precious person in my life. On that day, I had to let her go and believe that she was going to a place where she would not feel any pain. It is almost as if, when she died, she left some of her strength with me.

After that day my whole perspective on life changed. I no longer looked at the world as a place where chance and luck controlled the pattern of events. The world became a place where God prevailed, and everything I wanted was in my grasp as long as I worked hard for it.

The death of my great grandmother helped me also to realize how important my family is to me. In actuality, the death of my great grandmother is my re-defining moment because her death truly changed me for the better. The strength I received from her is the attribute that I am most proud of. Even to this day, when I am in a difficult situation, I always ask myself. "What would she want me to do in this situation?"

Basically her death reshaped the way I approach life's obstacles. Before she died, I was a very nervous kid who never wanted to try anything new. After she died, I began to question how I went about things in my life. I questioned my anxiety about experiencing new things. Her death made me rethink my life; it made me want to live life to the fullest. Even though she died at an old age, her death made me realize that life truly is too short. This experience has made me appreciate every moment I get to spend with the people I love.

The whole situation is actually kind of ironic because in most families, after the death of a family member, they usually feel like they lost a piece of themselves, but for me, it was like I gained an angel. I feel like I have someone looking out for me and helping me make the decisions that will serve to be the most beneficial in the long run. My defining moment was not about a competition or a struggle; my defining moment was about losing yet gaining at the same time. It was a moment that brought me full-circle on the emotional spectrum.

Erin Peterson
Defining Moment Assignment
11/14/06