There were two.

1- The day that my 1st daughter died in my arms after 2 months of life in the NICU. My faith, my appreciation, my spirit of gratefulness taught me that everything I knew and believed about God was real, and increased faith for others. How I handled her passing - with thanksgiving in mourning, and celebrating her life instead of only mourning my vision - taught me that I set my own course in life. So many around looked to my pain as the mother, and when they saw I embraced pain, and thanksgiving as part of the process, I later heard how it had some look at their lives introspectively. I never once considered that how I handled a personal matter would demonstrate so much to so many.

2 - The day that my 2nd daughter was placed in my arms a year later in the same hospital. It allowed me to see how much of a testimony my firstborn daughter's life was - and that as painful as the process was, there was a purpose greater than me and her, that demonstrated faith to those who would not have seen it in true action otherwise. They saw the story come full circle. And I learned a huge lesson in trusting the process. Things become more and more clear everyday.

Both of those events shaped, and still shapes me endlessly in both the macro and micro sense.

Anonymous wrote:And why?

Mid 40's, wife fired. Had family and health care and child with health issues.

2008 and people were getting fired periodically. In purges of less than 50 so company could say it was related to performance and not layoffs.

One day came in and found out that 30 people in my area were fired. 2 people were kept from the group. New managers hired from wall street had canned the entire group and outsourced the software BACK to the company that built the software. The group was working on software that was implemented a couple of years before, customized for the firm beyond belief by business area, and un-maintainable. New Managers worked with software company to maintain their own software. Firm had paid over 20M on this software and then many millions to maintain, and then gave up and paid the software company more millions to take it back.

Meanwhile multiple people on business side got promoted into other groups, the new york mbas got bonuses, and the IT side got fired. and the next day contractors from TCS showed up in the same cubicles. 20 something kids asking where are the printers.

I wish I learned this lesson in my 20's. everyone is replaceable, the company will lie straight to your face, and the only way to get ahead is to play politics. And large corporations today prefer to hire H1Bs over US citizens.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was a poor black boy growing up in rural NC to a single-mother of 5.
Lived in an old rusty trailer - no running water and with siphoned electricity from a neighbor.
Mom was a serious alcoholic.
I was sexually molested by a teacher and then by a family member.
I was tracked in special ed classes since 1st grade and failed the 4th grade.
The school's free lunches/breakfasts were God-sent.

Defining moment for me?
The P.E. teacher (who happened to be a white male) pulled me aside after the annual field day events and said, "Don't you ever stop running. Your running's going to take you places."
I didn't have much else going for me, so I believed what he told me. I kept on running - sometimes hungry; sometimes in torn-up sneakers.
By the end of high school, I was one of the top runners in the state of NC and earned a full X-country and track scholarship.
I am living a very comfortable life today - beautiful wife, good/smart kids.
I honestly don't know where I'd be if he hadn't pulled me aside that day.

This is beautiful! Forrest Gump style!

+ 1

When I finally admitted to myself that I no longer believed in God. That may sound trivial, but I grew up in a very rigid, religious, fear-filled home. Letting go of that past set me free and made me the person I am today. I'm a much better human now that I don't base my decisions on the Bible. (Not trying to start a debate here. I know many people derive positive benefits from religion. I'm just not one of them.)

Anonymous wrote:I was a poor black boy growing up in rural NC to a single-mother of 5.
Lived in an old rusty trailer - no running water and with siphoned electricity from a neighbor.
Mom was a serious alcoholic.
I was sexually molested by a teacher and then by a family member.
I was tracked in special ed classes since 1st grade and failed the 4th grade.
The school's free lunches/breakfasts were God-sent.

Defining moment for me?
The P.E. teacher (who happened to be a white male) pulled me aside after the annual field day events and said, "Don't you ever stop running. Your running's going to take you places."
I didn't have much else going for me, so I believed what he told me. I kept on running - sometimes hungry; sometimes in torn-up sneakers.
By the end of high school, I was one of the top runners in the state of NC and earned a full X-country and track scholarship.
I am living a very comfortable life today - beautiful wife, good/smart kids.
I honestly don't know where I'd be if he hadn't pulled me aside that day.

Thanks for sharing your experiences with us. It goes to show that teachers really do touch the lives of their students. Your P.E. teacher inspired you and gave you the motivation that you needed to overcome your circumstances. You're an amazing person. I hope that you will continue to be blessed and to live a happy life. I wish you lots of joy, peace, and happiness.

Anonymous wrote:I was a poor black boy growing up in rural NC to a single-mother of 5.
Lived in an old rusty trailer - no running water and with siphoned electricity from a neighbor.
Mom was a serious alcoholic.
I was sexually molested by a teacher and then by a family member.
I was tracked in special ed classes since 1st grade and failed the 4th grade.
The school's free lunches/breakfasts were God-sent.

Defining moment for me?
The P.E. teacher (who happened to be a white male) pulled me aside after the annual field day events and said, "Don't you ever stop running. Your running's going to take you places."
I didn't have much else going for me, so I believed what he told me. I kept on running - sometimes hungry; sometimes in torn-up sneakers.
By the end of high school, I was one of the top runners in the state of NC and earned a full X-country and track scholarship.
I am living a very comfortable life today - beautiful wife, good/smart kids.
I honestly don't know where I'd be if he hadn't pulled me aside that day.

This made me tear up. Love this.

The day I was raped by 2 black men when I was 16 and thought I was going to die because they told me they were going to kill me. I'm glad to be alive every day.

The night my mother told me she would not pay for college and would have to do it myself. I knew then I was on my own but would be fine. Went to school guidance councilor the next day explained my situation and they helped me apply for scholarships. The look on my parents face when I came home with a full scholarship for the first 2 years was priceless. Left home the week after graduation and didn't look back.

The birth of my two children. I worked for many years and married late in life and thought I had missed my chance to have kids. Nothing comes close to the joy that I get from being a Mom.

Anonymous wrote:When I met my now DH my freshman year of college. My life trajectory did a complete 180 and I think I'm a different person than I would have been without him. More boring, but much more stable and happier. I truly think meeting him so young was a grounding presence and influence to overcome the sh*t I grew up with.

Cheesy and not exactly a defining moment, but I like being a mother a lot more than I thought I would. I'm much happier to mommy track myself (graduated from a top 5 law school and now make barely $100k in the government). Surprisingly, I don't feel torn about not having the career I thought I would.

wow, if I could get on your "mommy track" I'd feel rich and successful!

When I met my now DH my freshman year of college. My life trajectory did a complete 180 and I think I'm a different person than I would have been without him. More boring, but much more stable and happier. I truly think meeting him so young was a grounding presence and influence to overcome the sh*t I grew up with.

Cheesy and not exactly a defining moment, but I like being a mother a lot more than I thought I would. I'm much happier to mommy track myself (graduated from a top 5 law school and now make barely $100k in the government). Surprisingly, I don't feel torn about not having the career I thought I would.

Definitely 9/11.

I knew two people who died in the attacks, and met and came to know others who would die in the fighting afterwards.

I was 28 then. That event has shaped my life since. It fundamentally altered me. I'm not sure who or what I would've been had it not happened, but I'm comfortable knowing who I am today, because of it.

Anonymous wrote:I was a poor black boy growing up in rural NC to a single-mother of 5.
Lived in an old rusty trailer - no running water and with siphoned electricity from a neighbor.
Mom was a serious alcoholic.
I was sexually molested by a teacher and then by a family member.
I was tracked in special ed classes since 1st grade and failed the 4th grade.
The school's free lunches/breakfasts were God-sent.

Defining moment for me?
The P.E. teacher (who happened to be a white male) pulled me aside after the annual field day events and said, "Don't you ever stop running. Your running's going to take you places."
I didn't have much else going for me, so I believed what he told me. I kept on running - sometimes hungry; sometimes in torn-up sneakers.
By the end of high school, I was one of the top runners in the state of NC and earned a full X-country and track scholarship.
I am living a very comfortable life today - beautiful wife, good/smart kids.
I honestly don't know where I'd be if he hadn't pulled me aside that day.

This is beautiful! Forrest Gump style!

I was a poor black boy growing up in rural NC to a single-mother of 5.
Lived in an old rusty trailer - no running water and with siphoned electricity from a neighbor.
Mom was a serious alcoholic.
I was sexually molested by a teacher and then by a family member.
I was tracked in special ed classes since 1st grade and failed the 4th grade.
The school's free lunches/breakfasts were God-sent.

Defining moment for me?
The P.E. teacher (who happened to be a white male) pulled me aside after the annual field day events and said, "Don't you ever stop running. Your running's going to take you places."
I didn't have much else going for me, so I believed what he told me. I kept on running - sometimes hungry; sometimes in torn-up sneakers.
By the end of high school, I was one of the top runners in the state of NC and earned a full X-country and track scholarship.
I am living a very comfortable life today - beautiful wife, good/smart kids.
I honestly don't know where I'd be if he hadn't pulled me aside that day.

I never had one until last night. I was the office sucker who always worjed late and took on others work so that they could take time off. About 9 last night I received a text showing two co-workers at the Caps playoff game. I was at work and burst into tears.

No more office patsy for me