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During this stage i developed trust in my parents who were my primary caretakers. They would ensure I felt loved , fed, and secure. This allowed me to explore my surrounding and know that I was safe. I went through the stage where only certain people could hold or play with me. I would cry if my parents were not around.

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During this stage I began to walk, talk, and figure out how to do things on my own. I learned to climb the stairs and fell a few times but I didn’t quit. I would try over and over until I mastered the skill. I learned to sing my ABC’s and count. This stage helped to set the foundation going into the preschool that I can do things and it’s also ok to not get it right the first few tries.

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During this stage I learned how to use my imagination and apply it to the world based on what I’ve witnessed around me. I would play house in preschool with friends and create gender roles. The girls would be the mommy and the boys would be the daddy. I thought this was the only way this could be played. I learned about feelings and how others may feel different than me. I would cry if I was scolded because I thought I was bad.

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I went to Cherokee Elementary school in Georgia. I enjoyed going to school and receiving smiley faces at the end of the day for great behavior. My mom and dad would come and eat lunch with me some days and this made me feel very good about myself. I worked hard during centers and learning time so that my teacher would give me compliments.

​There was a point in elementary school that I felt like if I missed a question I wasn’t as smart as my peers. I would become upset with myself and self-doubt. My mom and dad began to tell me its ok to make mistakes and to keep trying. I learned that it is ok to not be perfect at everything, but I must try to do my best. My parents instilled in me at an early age that as long as I am doing my best they will be proud of me.

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My junior year in high school I began to think of what I wanted to do after I graduated. I took the ASVAB, which is the test to see what jobs I would qualify for if I joined the service. I made a sixty-four on the test the first time. After taking the test I received many phone calls from different recruiting offices around Georgia. I decided to join the U.S Navy in June after my junior year in high school.

I went to boot camp in Great Lakes, Illinois from July14, 2009 until September 11, 2009. During those 8 weeks of training I learned a lot about myself and who I was becoming. I faced a lot of challenges spiritual and mentally and physically.

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​The relationships I gained during this stage of my life were strong and we bonded on levels I can not compare to my high school years. I gained many friend through my military service who were still like family after leaving the service. I met my life-partner and best friend. We began working to build a future for us and our children. We had 3 children at this point.

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I am currently in this stage of development. I started a career in the military. I have four children and have been married over twelve years. My husband and I have moved all over the country and finally settled in Indiana. We have bought a house and are beginning to think about what retirement should look like. Our children are in school and we want to set a stable environment for them while they develop friends and learn. As i continue in this stage I plan make sure my life is serving a purpose.

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Many of my childhood friends have passed on before me. I was put in the nursing home due to my rapid decline health. My mom went on to be with my grandmother and all of my aunts and uncles. My husband was still in good health at the age of 68 but his vision started becoming an issue at the age of seventy. We both shared a room at the manor where our children placed us. My son was a grandfather of twin girls and a boy. My daughter did not have any grandchildren.

On a rainy evening in two thousand seventy-eight my name was called on the roll and I answered my savior. The special thing about this was my husband and I both took our last breaths moments from each other. We died holding hands.