Personal Narrative: My Mother's Coming Of Age

What does coming of age mean? Merriam-Webster defines it as "the time when a person becomes an adult," but is there more to the phrase than the dictionary says? I sought to answer that question as I sat down in my sunroom. The room wasn't very interesting. It had a stiff carpeted floor, beige walls, and a couch with a pattern of black and white that smeared together to form quite a dull gray. While I got ready to interview, my siblings were tidying up the often messy room. I was anxiously waiting for mom to come down. My mother was currently upstairs, probably changing or putting on makeup. She knew I had to go somewhere soon, so she was trying to be as fast as possible. Eventually, Mom came down and entered the sunroom. She grabbed
After a long pause, she described a trip she took in college. Mom and her college friends went to Washington, D.C. over spring break. While there, they volunteered at a soup kitchen. "I got to meet people who were homeless and who, you know, depended on that shelter to give them food every day." She related. By this point, I was about to end the interview, but Mom asked “Do you ‍‍‍‍want to hear about when I went to the prison ministry?” It turns out that Mom also served in a prison ministry. On her weekly visits, she got to know the inmates better. She stumbled a bit while explaining the ministry, but eventually voiced her thoughts. "I mean, that just helped me to see, anybody can make a wrong choice or can go down a wrong path. …It doesn't mean you're not human, it doesn't mean you're unlovable..." While volunteering, Mom learned how to accept people who made mistakes. By the end of the interview, I gained more insight into Mom. I realized the person who she is today was shaped by the decisions she made in the past. As for the question I opened this paper with, I’ve got some revelations. The dictionary is right. “Coming of age” is the time when a person becomes an adult. Through experiences like school and volunteering, people gain maturity. When people gain maturity, we inch closer and closer to adulthood. Mom completed her journey into adulthood, and I’m still on mine, but where we are doesn't matter. You can always learn something new everyday. We all can come of