I like to think that I adapt to change pretty well. However, starting college made me realize that I may not be as well equipped to adapt to change as I thought. I lived in the same house and the same town my whole life. I have had the same friends since elementary school and the same neighbors since childhood. My parents have had the same jobs ever since before I was born, and my older brother has always been the same. Every change and conflict that occurred before college was something I was able to easily bounce back from, and I ended up becoming too comfortable with my stable and constant life at home.
Last September, during the first month of my college career and being away from home for the first time, family issues arose. In my parents’ best efforts to shield me from becoming distracted from my studies, they decided to hide all of the new family conflicts and issues from me. For months on end I would feel confused when my parents refused to elaborate on situations, and I would always end up pressuring my parents for answers. They eventually confessed that my older brother was honorably discharged from his military school due to an accident which left him hospitalized. This accident left a huge dent in our family and family dynamic, affecting my parents career’s, my brother’s schooling, and created a lot of change in our household. Realizing that my family was changing in ways I could not have imagined before, I found it very hard to cope, often feeling confused, lost, and worried at home which was once stable and comfortable.
I believe how I react to change is a result of how my parents raised me. They would often shield me from the harmful aspects of society and what they were unfamiliar with, urging me not to go anywhere they did not know and to avoid seeing people they did not know. Since my parents lived in familiarity and raised me in an environment catered towards familiarity, it feels strange at times to step outside my comfort zone or when change arises. From my experience, I have learned that change is normal. There will be good change and bad change, and there will be times when change is unavoidable. Although I still struggle with change, I have realized that resisting change does not make it disappear. Instead, learning to accept change, even if it is scary and uncomfortable, will help you move forward in life. I strongly believe that family relationships and our upbringings shape how we react to change, but we eventually have to learn how to move forward when life no longer looks the way we are used to.