This was really hard to write for me. I’ve learned a lot about myself this semester, but I’ve learned the most about myself during the two months that I’ve sat in my home back in New York with my mom and dad. I realized that I didn’t know how to be happy without the validation of other people.
I am an only child, as i’ve mentioned in the past, and I am very reliant on my parents. My parents did everything and anything for me when I was growing up and , realistically, they did everything for me up until I left for college. I’ve always tried to please my parents, and I’m not saying that’s a bad thing. Everyone wants to please their parents. Everyone wants their parents to be proud of them, but now that i’m older, I’ve realized that wanting to please my parents has turned into a need for validation from my friends and other people in my life.
I feel like I need other people to be happy in order for me to be happy. Reading all of the blog posts this semester and writing ones myself made me realize how much we all rely on other people. I want to be able to love myself without other people having to love me.
I also feel like this stems from the sudden shift from having constant contact with college kids on campus to being confined to the four walls of our houses. It gave me some time to reflect on myself and realize that I don’t need other people to accept me in order to be happy. Yes, I like when people like me, but I don’t need it to be happy. I should be happy on my own.
ENGL110 Spring 2020 11:15-12:05 
While this may have been hard for you to write, it was a pleasure for me to read. I appreciate your honesty and introspection, and you’re right. Like you said in your final paragraph, it was such a contrast coming back home for me too because my human interaction was pretty much put on pause. Your piece reminded me of that quote “Who’s going to love you if you can’t love yourself?” I know you weren’t really talking about romantics, but I think it still applies to general social interaction. Great post!
-Michael Muscato
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It was great seeing your approach to explaining your urge for validation from people. I bet it took a lot of looking inwards and refection on your past years, which is something that is very tough to do, especially for me. I like to believe I have gone through the same process of being happy on my own and not require validation from other and although i’ve made large strides but I still feel best with my friends and being at home( more then 8 hours from any college friends) has been very tough but happiness on my own is on the upward track. Great intrapersonal piece.
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I’m so happy that even this unusual semester was able to help you find such an important change in yourself. You did a really great job in this piece talking about the effects of coming home. Also, I really liked your closing sentence ” I should be happy on my own.” It almost felt like a call to action, and was a great way to wrap everything up.
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