Narrative Essay Sample about Experience That Sparked Personal Growth

There are a lot of instances that can spark personal growth, but one instance that stands out to me is when my grandparents separated. This time in my life really sparked personal growth for me and a new understanding of others. Everyone has something that has affected them in life but not everyone grows from that experience. You can take it and learn or let it just blow past you.

We all learn by observing the people around us and how they interact with each other. From a small age, we watch how our parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and ect act. All my life I've been very close to my grandparents. I've never gone a whole month without seeing them and it's just always been that way. Me being me i've always loved watching how certain people interact everywhere I go. My grandparents were like my second pair of parents. I would always compare how they acted as well as  how my parents would act.

My grandparents were together for almost 30 years. From everything I used to see they seemed like a happy couple. When you're younger you don't notice the little things going on around you all the time. You don't get to know all the family drama along with what's happening in everyone's life. Well, I'm older now and in the loop, which means I know what goes on in the family. Recently my grandparents had split up and that was a big shock to me. It just never dawned on me that they would ever not be together.I don't think most people saw it coming. That really was a hard thing for me to grasp. I would say it made me gain a realization about myself and about others. As I look back and put the pieces together it all makes sense why they aren't together anymore.

Now you may be wondering how this has sparked a realization for me. We grow up seeing the perfect Disney relationship as well as how everyone always ends up happy. Well for me when my grandparents split I realized that sometimes people are happier when not together. You can love someone but have to let them go for your own happiness. I have put that into perspective and really started looking at people that are in a relationship just because they think they have to be together, but they're so unhappy. I feel as though this realization has made me grow as a person. Realizing that it is okay to be happy with just myself has impacted me greatly especially as a high schooler. You really feel the pressure of getting into a relationship in addition to trying to fit in. I am now okay with just being alone and enjoying my own company. Am I sad that my grandparents split of course, but seeing my grandma is happy with herself and thriving is just great. We're so caught up in trying to be picture perfect in others’ eyes and in a rush to start relationships when we need to just slow down and make sure that we're happy first.

What happens to the people around you can really affect how you perceive things. You can either turn it into a time of growth or learn nothing from it. It's all about what you decide to do. That is an instance in my life of personal growth and how it has made me a better person. I learned from other people's experiences and have put this information into my own.