Perserverance-Reflective Essay Example

her locate things, and other little tips she had shared with me in the past. It was a combination of her guidance and my inner strength that got me through that difficult period.

Over time I regained my eyesight, for which I am thankful, but I realized that I did have the will to continue to lead my life productively even with a handicap. I learned the perseverance it took to overcome this trauma from a previous experience in my life, oddly enough, involving a weapon in my own hand. My husband had been a hunter his whole life and wanted to share that experience with me. When I was a little girl I had shot a gun with my grandfather, but that was a shotgun and they were tin cans. I knew shooting a rifle would be quite different.

But I loved my husband, and I was determined to try almost anything if it meant we would be spending time together. “Are you ready? ” my husband asked. I nodded as he placed the butt of the rifle against my right shoulder. “Now look through the scope. Do you see those crosshairs? Line your target up right in the middle and pull the trigger,” he said. I took aim and pulled the trigger but I flinched as the gun went off and the recoil knocked me to the ground.

Needless to say, our first session didn’t go too well.

The second session wasn’t much better, my husband became frustrated and said, “I’m beginning to think the idea of you actually shooting a deer, or anything else, is preposterous. ” I was persistent and determined that

I could do it, with or without his help. Fall came and when he went to get his hunting license I announced, “I need to get mine too. ” He looked at me like I was crazy but finally conceded that yes I could get the license, and yes he would take me with him but I had better be quiet.

The morning was cold and every breathe we took could be seen in the air.

For weeks I had been preparing for this, but I silently wondered if all my practice would be enough to prepare me for this challenge. As we walked deeper into the woods all I could think about was that I had to do it, I had to prove myself. Finally, the opportunity I had been waiting for! I couldn’t believe my eyes, through the scope I saw a 6-point buck. Nervously, I lined it up in the crosshairs. I kept my rifle pressed into my shoulder, my cheek against the stock.

Slowly and deliberately I squeezed the trigger, holding the crosshairs on target as I had practiced hundreds of times before. The rifle fired, recoiling sharply.

As I watched through the scope, I witnessed the bullet strike the deer just as I had imagined. "Nice shot! " shouted my husband. "Thanks" I whispered. My knees were shaking, my heart was pounding; I had done it.

Not only did I shoot and kill my first deer, I bagged the only deer in my household that season. It was at that moment that I realized just how important perseverance was. The endless hours of practice that began with me not hitting anything taught me

the skills necessary to hit my target. I knew this same perseverance would be required to eventually fulfill my goal of pursing higher education.

I had a full time job and a family; but deep inside I wanted more. I knew that the only way was to further my education, so I enrolled in the local community college. “No ma’am I can’t afford to be a full-time student, can I enroll and take one or two courses a semester? ” I asked. “Of course! ” the counselor responded, “let’s talk about which courses you should begin with. ” That day I went home feeling good about myself; I had taken the first step in a journey that I knew could change my life forever.

I had a long road ahead of me, but I wanted it so badly I could almost taste it.

That day, however, I had no idea of all the obstacles I would have to overcome to fulfill my dream. It all started with my father, a man that had never really been a part of my life, telling me that I was just wasting time and money. “You’re nothing now and you never will be,” he said. Of course that just made me more determined to prove him wrong.

I went through a divorce and instantly became a single parent. Then my father, the man who had been so cruel to me, had a heart attack. He needed help so I went to care for him, leaving me even less time for myself than before.

I remarried and it finally looked like I would have the opportunity to focus on my education.

I had

just re-enrolled in classes when life threw me another curve. I had to take custody of my two grandchildren, toddlers at the time. Do I give up on my education? I don’t think so. While I’m fairly certain, at this point in my life, that a degree won’t make any difference in my career, I am still determined to get it.

It has become a personal goal. I know through perseverance I will achieve this dream. I have never let any obstacle stand in my way and I will see my way through to graduation, regardless of how long it takes.