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~The trust vs. mistrust stage is so important because it shapes how a person views the world. This is the stage when a baby starts sensing when they can or cannot trust a person.

When April was a baby, her mother loved her very much. April’s dad was abusive and didn’t care to be involved in April’s life. Whenever her dad would hold her she would cry for her mom. During this stage April trusted her mother but mistrusted her dad.

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~The autonomy vs. shame and doubt stage is when a child becomes more independent and finds themselves doing some things on their own rather than depending fully on someone else.

When April was about 2 years old, she started to get better and better at potty training. Her mother introduced a sticker board where every time April used the toilet she could put a sticker on the board. Shortly after introducing the poster board, April would use the toilet by herself and run to find her mom to tell her the good news. It started off as something they would do together but eventually April was potty trained and using the toilet all by herself without supervision. April developed a better sense of personal control and autonomy during this stage.

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~During the initiative vs. guilt stage a child will begin to take charge in social situations or play time.

At the age of 4, April met her best friend and next-door neighbor, Laura. Laura was shy and reserved while April was more outgoing and energetic. It was obvious that Laura wanted to be friends with April, but her shyness held her back. Each day, April would knock on Laura’s door and ask to play. Laura just went along with whatever April wanted to do. April would recommend things like hopscotch, swimming games, catch, barbies, etc. Eventually Laura came out of her shell, but for the beginning of their friendship April led play time with her ideas and she did most of the talking. Laura was never bothered by this, she always appreciated April taking charge in their friendship because she herself was shy.

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~During the industry vs. inferiority stage, a child will begin to take pride in their skills and achievements which will play a large role in their self confidence.

When April was 8 years old, she won the gymnastics championship in her division. She was competing against other girls that went to her school that weren’t always kind to her. She felt on top of the world when she won. In terms of Erikson’s stages, this period of time in April’s life was stage 4: Industry Vs. Inferiority. April always wanted to prove to the other girls that she was cool. If the other girls didn't think she was cool it would affect her confidence a lot. Winning the gymnastics championship made girls from other teams and her own praise her, along with parents and coaches. April’s confidence was boosted and the other girls respected her.

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~During the identity vs. role confusion stage, adolescents will begin to find themselves and their identity without pretending to like what other people like, this is them becoming their true self.

When April entered high school at around 14/15 years old, she began to lose interest in gymnastics and find joy in other things like guitar, art, hiking, partying, etc. April felt displaced when she was around her group of friends because their whole life was gymnastics and obsessing over football players at their school. April wanted to hang out with musicians and artistic people who she felt were unique. She started to drift away from her main friend group into another group that shared her interests. Changing friend groups was a big deal and it made her feel guilty, but she felt out of place and experienced role confusion- which led to her finding a new close friend group.

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~During the intimacy vs. isolation stage, a person will form real meaningful relationships with other people.

When April was 21 years old she met her husband. She had recently broken up with her  boyfriend of 5 years. When she started a new job she started talking to this man Don. Don made her laugh and feel safe. After leaving a relationship she wasn’t happy in, she fell for Don quickly. She formed a strong bond with him and their love grew effortlessly. After two years of being together they were married and expecting their first child together. To this day, around 25 years later, they are still together.

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~During the generativity vs. stagnation stage, a person will want to focus on more important and meaningful things in life so that they can leave a positive mark on the world.

When Covid-19 struck, April’s relationship with friends and family suffered. She was unable to see her friends and family for a long time because many of them were high risk and could not have contact with others. During this time, April would send care packages to her loved ones and call them every day to make sure they never felt forgotten. She would even visit her loved one’s homes and talk to them through a screen door if they felt comfortable with that. April could have easily not done any of these things, but that would have risked her relationships with these people. She cared so much about these people and their feelings that she would do whatever she could to make them happy during those hard and lonely times.

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~During the ego integrity vs dispair stage, a person will reflect on their life to determine if it was meaningful and if they are happy with the way they lived it.

When April looks back at her life, she will be proud. Throughout her life April has always helped others and had fun. She has close friends that she's known for decades, a husband of 25+ years, two smart and ambitious daughters, a beautiful home, etc. April is artistic, music inclined, active, and stays true to herself. No matter the situation or who she’s around, she is herself. She gives great advice and doesn’t lie. There are some things in life April regrets, but the good outweighs the bad.