Hey Pandas, What's The Most Life Changing Thing That Has Ever Happened To You? (Closed)

I cared for my father who passed from Alzheimer's Disease. I took care of him in my home for four very long years before he succumbed to the disease. I had to watch the man I had emulated much of my life by become frail, weak and eventually completely dependent upon my every decision. Before his diagnosis I was self-centered and to be honest, a bit shallow. He taught me patience and empathy through his pain and how to truly care for another human being. He was there for my first steps and I was there as he took his last. He was at the bedside for my birth and I was at his his when he took his last breathe. Because of the experience I now tell those that I care about, that I unconditionally love them and willingly go out of my way to assist those in need. I came out the other side of this journey a better man though I wish the wisdom it granted about life and its meaning didn't have to come at such a high price.

A bad relationship that I just left made me realize that the 3.5 years of trauma therapy actually worked. For once, through all the verbal and emotional abuse, I never lost myself. I stayed true, and knew when my partner was trying to manipulate me. And then ai happily escaped.

my ex hubby started college while he was in the military. he took accelerated classes meaning that the courses provided by the military were completed in 9 weeks or less towards a degree. after a couple of courses i noticed that he started to talk 'down' to me - more than mansplaining - until i called him out on it. it was then that he basically told me that his 'higher education' meant that he knew more than me so he needed to explain things plainly so i could understand what he was saying. whoa!!!!

i digested this for a couple of weeks and then i started to plan. i had a school age child at the time. since the military didn't pay enough to pay for tuition and books for me to attend college i needed a way to make some money. so, i pulled out my sewing machine and started making christmas ornaments with what i call a home-spun quality. the church that my mom attended (she lived 320 miles away) always had a 'christmas in july' event in which they invited people to come and sell christmas themed items for fundraising. i rented a space, borrowed my folk's christmas tree and displayed my work. i also make soap so i threw that into the mix as well. the sale was very successful and i managed to make enough that eventually covered my first semester of tuition and books. (thank goodness the college had a military spouse program with reduced tuition fees.) after paying for it all i had enough left over for a cup of coffee. as crazy as it sounds, my plan was to get into college and then work my butt off to get scholarships and grants for the rest. and...it worked.

because of the scholarships and grants i was able to continue to attend college. i attended full time as well as a full load for summer classes and managed to shave off a year from graduating which i did with not one but two degrees as well as being a recipient of a prestigious award from the school.

now, did his attitude change towards me? not really because he started to act as if he was responsible for my success. but, what really changed was what was inside me. while i had never been that great a student in high school i excelled in college because i found out that not everyone learns in the same way. i learned that i was "smarter" than what i thought i was and had a great capacity of memory whereas before i didn't have confidence in myself. i went on to have a good career and am now retired. oh, and him? he never once worked in the field in which he had a degree and, after 32 years, i left.

so, yes...that was the most life changing thing that has happened to me and even though i was terrified at the beginning of that journey (i was 28 in classes with 18 yr olds at the start) i discovered that there was so much more in me than i had ever believed. that is why i encourage anyone and everyone to never believe what or how others perceive them as there is a power in all of us that only needs to be tapped.

Me and a friend had made a suicide pact and that’s what has kept us both alive today

I’ve been through a lot of s**t. I’ve lost both my parents (my father in 2016 to cancer, my mother suddenly just this past October) and over the past two months I’ve been in and out of the hospital with blood clots on top of health issues I’ve had my whole life. Now I’m living with my grandfather and uncle. I’m only 17, I turn 18 in July. It’s an understatement to say I feel a little damaged, my mental and physical health could both use some help. I’m looking into therapy and trying to keep my head above water, but I feel like I was dealt a really bad hand. I feel like I’ve hardened as a person over the past few months, I’m hoping things get easier

When my sister was born - best thing that happened to me!

When I met this cute little french girl.... 35 years ago, married for 25 years

as a child I was homeless, my life eventually got a kind of restart when I was able to no longer be there it caused mental problems and didn't always give me changes that would be considered good. Though I should say that as a person i think it has bettered me.

i got in an car crash when i was 11, my head was right next to the window. i have been deaf for six years now, considering getting a hearing aid! the only reason i didnt before is because they are expensive.

Therapy. After years and years of self-loathing, zero boundary setting and zero self-love, I finally realized that something needed to change for my personal health. I did several types of therapy but the one that helped me most were sessions on how self-esteem works and the other was haptotherapy. Specifically the latter taught me how to be more aligned with myself and how to stop ignoring my own feelings. It's changed my life and I'm so much more balanced now.

My mom deciding not to abort my sister, she’s annoying, dumb and annoying. But she’s always there

Being told you have end stage cancer at 35 with 3 young children. I have never seen the colors of nature so vibrant as I did that first week after my diagnosis. I have never smiled as much as I had in that first month after my diagnosis. I let all the negativity go..and I didn't listen when they told me I probably only had 2 to 4 months left of my life. I was determined to raise my children. With a lot of prayer and some amazing doctors, nurses, clinicians, and other medical staff along with my 3 kids and other family...I just celebrated my 52nd birthday cancer free since 2006.

Hugging my mom as I told her "Goodnight & I Love you" before going to bed to wake up to my my worst nightmare only I was awake!!
4 -5 hours later, I wake up to make sure my mom was up & getting ready for her appointment that morning to find her cold lifeless body sitting in the recliner, she looked like she was peacefully sleeping at 1st glance but I noticed her lips were purplish blue and her hand felt very cold & that's when my heart dropped, my world shattered all around me!! I passed out, hitting my head on sliding glass door before collapsing to floor but I immediately jump up and grabbed the phone, dialing 911 with the speaker on so I had my hands free.
I pulled my mom onto the living room floor & started CPR, by this time my dad and my boyfriend were standing around, I had my boyfriend talk to the EMS while I begged and pleaded for a miracle and bring my mom back to me..
I knew in my heart that it was too late, she was gone & CPR wasn't goin to bring her back but couldn't bring myself to give up ..

I performed CPR for 45 mins, maybe an hour until the EMS finally arrived.. I moved out of the way so they could do their job but within seconds, they called it and I just went numb.
I ran outside and collapsed on the ground while I screamed louder then I ever have before, I kept telling myself to wake up already, I didn't want to believe that I just lost my mom,my best friend, my rock, my everything!! ♡♡
My boyfriend pulled me into his Arms and just held me for hours till I started to calm down.

It was the absolute worst day of my life !!! It replays in my head so vividly still till this day when I think about it 😪

Getting (and surviving) cancer. Cliché maybe, but made me realize life is not something to take for granted.

I also learned that I have some amazing people around me who will step up and help out. From that, I know to step and help, and how much it means.

i was born. pretty life changing, to be honest.

When I was 40 years old, my father tried to kill me. It was the best thing that ever happened to me because it woke me up to the family lies.

For example my family always said I was a klutz, but when I was 15 years old with serious arthritis, I could mount a balance beam by running across the gym and jumping up onto it unassisted. The accidents I was having at home were my father's booby traps and I never realized it because the family always blamed me for his bad behavior.

A dark epiphany at 40 that my drinking was destroying my soul,and that I am an alcoholic.I grew up in a heavy drinking family ,married a heavy drinker and for many years thought it was how life was meant to be. I was lucky enough to be treated at an amazing publicly-funded rehab in a stunning part of the country (sadly closed down not long after I went through) where I got real and stared down my demons. This November I will be 25 years sober. I'd be dead by now if this hadn't happened ,instead I'm surrounded by the love of my children ,(one of whom is also in recovery,)my grandchildren, and my cats.

Recovering from cancer.
Like everyone, I thought that I was immortal - it never occurred to me that I would die one day.
I was feeling ill and wen to the hospital. They took one look at me and said « You are not going anywhere « .
I was operated on the next day, spent 3 days in intensive care, and 2 weeks in hospital.
I took antibiotics for 2 years, but now, after 4 years, I am clean.
3 things:
1. My (now) ex-wife never visited me in hospital.
2. A wonderful friend looked after me.
3. The French medical service is the best in the world. I ended up paying 150 euros. And that is without medical insurance.

Walked across America, solo. Experienced a connection with nature that I never expected, built strengths, faced pain and hunger, thrived. Slept in a hammock in trees. Fished and foraged for food. Only one absolute donut of a person, in KC, during ice storm. Everyone else was amazing. Covered all but a handful of 50 states.

Almost losing my best friend to a crack addiction. I watched her become a shell of herself and was there for her through it all. I was there to help her out of it, and then 1 year later she helped me out of my cocaine addiction. We are both several years clean and are as thick as thrives. If it were not for each other, neither of us would be here today.