Your Greatest Accomplishment

JLHNU212

I VERY recently turned 30 and was the first (and so far only) person in my ENTIRE family (including extended family) to go to college, graduate and actually find a job that pertains to what I went to school for.

I have remained alcohol and drug free my entire life, even though substance abuse is very prevalent on BOTH sides of my family (hence my first accomplishment being a big deal). I lost my mom to it and my dad is not far from it... so those of you saying how you have been clean and sober for X amount of time... THANK YOU! Thank you for doing that for yourself and for your family, it is a HUGE accomplishment that you should be more than proud of!

I am also going to list my son as an accomplishment because despite how easy some have pointed out having children SHOULD be, it gets tough when you have thyroid problems, PCOS, and reoccuring uterine fibroids. It took us almost 5 years, thousands of dollars, tons of hormones and many fun procedures... But we beat it all when we welcomed that miracle into the world, which is more than many infertile people get to say.

RayInMotion

My oldest daughter, 10, earned some money selling bracelets at school. She came home with 23 dollars and asked if she could give it to the hospital to help other kids.

sfbaumgarten

I'm 27 and have served in the USAF.

bcoop911

As can be seen in this thread, many people consider whether they have raised children well, or not had children to be an accomplishment. Either way, people do consider that in their accomplishments.

I have had people tell me that they think it is an accomplishment that having grown up in a very abusive childhood, and generationally in my family, that I married an intelligent, kind man. I have been in a happy relationship with him for 16 years (having grown up around only abusive relationships). I have had two daughters. They are good kids. They get along very well with each other and other kids. They are helpful to other children in school that need extra help. They excel in science and creative writing, among other things. Some of that is genetic (they were tested by the school and are advanced in the area of auditory memory and processing to what they said was an unusual degree), and some of it is environment growing up with a Dad that is a scientist and me taking them to Science World weekly and doing science with them everyday because I also studied biology and love it. So, yes, I have had people tell me that is an accomplishment to have come through what I did and to break the cycles of abuse in my family. The first kids in many generations to have not been abused (I am talking about criminal level abuse, and it was the police and district attorney's office that have said this to me as well).

However, my kids being 7 and 9, I am certainly not going to say that is my greatest accomplishment. I am not done yet. And also, I think expecting them to be my greatest accomplishment puts too much pressure on that relationship. My accomplishments need to be my own and not dependent on how well they do in life. But, on an internal, personal level, when I see my kids confident, being children, not having to face the adult things that I had to face as a child, yes, I do feel a personal, internal sense of accomplishment. It is a healing experience. It heals me, as a person, to see that, and to know that I helped contribute to that. And that because I am a parent, I have been doing my job as a parent. So, when people see my children and they come up to me and say, "Good Job!" I do feel thankful. But, I wouldn't go around saying they are my accomplishment. But, there are aspects of this whole process of becoming and being a parent that are personal accomplishments for me. And there are many other things in life that are personal accomplishments of that nature that make me a better person for having faced, and gone through because I had to, and I didn't turn away from what I had to do in life. And I allowed it to contribute to my growth as a person and to my wisdom.

And I understand why people that have had wonderful accomplishments will still say their children are their greatest accomplishment.

Edit to add: I also just want to add that I never would have posted any of this, had this not become a discussion about kids being or not being an accomplishment.

Very well said... almost said TLTR, but then I actually read it and glad I did.

bcoop911

I'm 27 and have served in the USAF.

Me too!

TamTastic

This was a week before my c-section with my 2nd son in 2009. And this was after having lost 135 lbs. I met my goal weight a week before finding out I was pregnant lol. Talk about a test. But I truly changed my lifestyle.

Hope you can see the pic!

Beautiful!

Thanks!!

chele1028

Losing all 112 of these pounds!! I feel better than I ever have! Oh and I am 43.

NormInv

As can be seen in this thread, many people consider whether they have raised children well, or not had children to be an accomplishment. Either way, people do consider that in their accomplishments.

I have had people tell me that they think it is an accomplishment that having grown up in a very abusive childhood, and generationally in my family, that I married an intelligent, kind man. I have been in a happy relationship with him for 16 years (having grown up around only abusive relationships). I have had two daughters. They are good kids. They get along very well with each other and other kids. They are helpful to other children in school that need extra help. They excel in science and creative writing, among other things. Some of that is genetic (they were tested by the school and are advanced in the area of auditory memory and processing to what they said was an unusual degree), and some of it is environment growing up with a Dad that is a scientist and me taking them to Science World weekly and doing science with them everyday because I also studied biology and love it. So, yes, I have had people tell me that is an accomplishment to have come through what I did and to break the cycles of abuse in my family. The first kids in many generations to have not been abused (I am talking about criminal level abuse, and it was the police and district attorney's office that have said this to me as well).

However, my kids being 7 and 9, I am certainly not going to say that is my greatest accomplishment. I am not done yet. And also, I think expecting them to be my greatest accomplishment puts too much pressure on that relationship. My accomplishments need to be my own and not dependent on how well they do in life. But, on an internal, personal level, when I see my kids confident, being children, not having to face the adult things that I had to face as a child, yes, I do feel a personal, internal sense of accomplishment. It is a healing experience. It heals me, as a person, to see that, and to know that I helped contribute to that. And that because I am a parent, I have been doing my job as a parent. So, when people see my children and they come up to me and say, "Good Job!" I do feel thankful. But, I wouldn't go around saying they are my accomplishment. But, there are aspects of this whole process of becoming and being a parent that are personal accomplishments for me. And there are many other things in life that are personal accomplishments of that nature that make me a better person for having faced, and gone through because I had to, and I didn't turn away from what I had to do in life. And I allowed it to contribute to my growth as a person and to my wisdom.

And I understand why people that have had wonderful accomplishments will still say their children are their greatest accomplishment.

Edit to add: I also just want to add that I never would have posted any of this, had this not become a discussion about kids being or not being an accomplishment.

Good post!

BinaryPulsar

Thank you! I really appreciate that (to the two guys that quoted my post).

TamTastic

Agreed. I love being a mommy and I do look at having babies as being a major factor in my happy life. It's something I always wanted and actually having and raising them is an accomplishment for me. Not my only one though and I am trying to set an example and have my own interests and goals which will only help to inspire them to work harder to accomplish their own. Some people view college, certain jobs and traveling to Europe as accomplishments. It really all comes down to each individual priority. and what is going to make each person happy and fulfilled in their life. Might be babies, might be seeing Paris. To each their own.

Crimson_Fire

Thank y'all for all the responses.

tiggerhammon

I have accomplished a lot of things in my life but I do have to say, that beyond everything else, a mother is the greatest thing I have ever aspired to.

Tigg_er

I love how OP wanted stories to "make her smile," with a happy undertone and to make a feel good post. But the nature of the people on this site and in this thread still manage to turn it negative. Regardless of which you agree with (children or no children for example), it makes me laugh how naturally negative people are.

I love how you point this out, but then you were one of the first people to bring such negativity by critiquing other's greatest accomplishments. Gotta love irony.

1) I never said I didn't fall in to this category; so right, "irony"
2) I never was negative, I just simply stated I agreed with someone else's comment
3) You are just mad because you fit solidly into the category of people I was talking about
4) Have a nice day

My 2nd greatest accomplishment was I didn't turn out like this guy, or Norm.

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

bcoop911

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

yucka yucka yucka