At the age of eleven, an event that I never thought could benefit me so much took place when my mother joined the Army National Guard. At that age, a lot of changes had already happened in my life. My mother had just gotten married and while she began her training, I stayed at home with my stepfather. I'm not an only child, but because my two sisters are significantly older than me, I was raised as an only child for much of my life. At the time my mother joined the guard, I wasn't close to my sisters, so I remember how hard it was for me when she was gone. Even though my stepfather was always there for me and did his best to provide for me, I still remember the upset and slight resentment I felt the day my mother left for training basic. But now that I look at where I was when my mother first joined the military and where I am now, I can see how strong that experience made me. I am able to recognize and be proud of the values ​​I realize I may not have acquired if she had not followed through on this decision. The times when I didn't always have my mother with me are the most responsible for my independence. Today. Basic Training and Army Individual Training (AIT) lasted a total of six months and I didn't get to see or talk to her as much as I would have liked. Without my mother to rely on, I learned at a very young age to do and understand many things on my own. In addition to doing my own laundry and cooking for myself most of the time, I had to hold myself accountable for my school work, clean up after myself, rehearse for piano recitals, and remember my soccer or karate practices. The independence that I learned at a very young age has stayed with me until now and will probably continue to last throughout...... middle of paper ...... major of my marching band, I learned a little plus how to successfully be a positive leader and earn the respect of others in this position. I have gained more self-confidence through the support of my mother and stepfather and have also noticed how much I enjoy being able to help others while taking on leadership roles. Although I feel like I learned many great values ​​from my mother, I feel like this was one of the most meaningful. Although the absence of my mother while training with the Guard was difficult for me at a young age, the experience certainly benefited me by making me a stronger person. When my mother was away, my relationship with my stepfather strengthened and I became even closer to my mother when she was available to spend time together. This experience has been and will continue to be significant in my life.