Things happen for a reason. This seems to be the answer to people wondering why there has been a drastic change in their lives. Change is something that human beings must endure at some point in their lives. Some changes can be small, like in Jennifer Schwind-Pawlak's article, "The Thrill of Victory...The Agony of Parents," where she talks about the first time she felt a change in how she felt for his mother after a football game. Thu. Schwind vividly remembers feeling ashamed of her mother's behavior, but as an adult reflecting on the situation, she sees it as a learning experience that allows her to be reassured by her mother's love. mother towards her. In other cases, change can impact the path life takes. At that time, the change that struck me was the move from California to Michigan, but as I reflected on that experience, there was something that hadn't been there before. My parents had been tinkering with the idea all summer and it seemed like it was happening. It was time to tackle the stagnant issue of moving. It's not like it was all that surprising that this decision happened; yet it seemed too soon. California was the only place known as home, it was so familiar it was almost impossible to live anywhere else. One thing to keep in mind when making a drastic lifestyle change is packaging. The packing seemed endless, piles and piles of unnecessary belongings that at one time were so important, now lined the bottomless pit of a dumpster. The last night before the move was incredibly difficult and not how I expected it to be. The whole family who had been with me since my birth came to say goodbye to me in tears. Of course there was some crying on my part, but I never thought I could cry so much. For so...... middle of paper...... and short summers. She finally explained that she noticed a radical change in the family. In California, it was always work and more work and there was never a time to relax with family. Once we arrived in Michigan, we were dependent on each other and united more than ever in California. She also knew that California would have led us to turn to gangs, drugs and alcohol, as many of our family members had turned to them for their own lives. It really made me think about what my life would have been like if California was still our home. My life would have been filled with negative environments and bad influences, I truly believe I would not have completed high school or even gone to college. My mother's relationship is better than it has ever been and has allowed me to embrace change while still being united as a family..