Kaden Khau 16 - Memories as Milestones

Kaden Khau 16 - Memories as Milestones

May 7, 2025

In the rush of everyday life, especially during AP season where studying for hours on end, looking back to how far you have come can be easily forgotten. We get caught in cycles of always having new goals, new milestones, and striving for what's next. But sometimes, the best way to recognize our growth and evolution comes from looking back at our milestones.

I often think about this as I play volleyball and realize that I have grown far past my old self and have actually improved looking back at the footage of my first tournaments and games. They are more than just snapshots of the past; instead they are markers of lessons learned, improvement over time, and resilience built on mistakes. I've come to see how much I've improved after seeing how I was short little kid during freshmen year that could barely put the ball over the net to now striving for an All-League award this season. Every memory of those past games holds a mirror to who I was and who I am now and I realize that those past memories serve as a canvas to compare big milestones to what I can achieve now.

Even memories that sting carry value. They remind of battles we've fought, the strength we've summoned, and the was we've learned to cope better. They hold stories of failures we've learned to overcome and shape the discipline that makes us the people we are today. You may not be where you want yet, but looking back at our past milestones, you are definitely not where you once were. Look back on that.

8,300+ Child To Adult Evolution Stock Illustrations, Royalty-Free Vector Graphics & Clip Art - iStock | Age progression sequence, Young to old, Growing up
Photo by iStock

Comments

  1. Raghav DagaMay 21, 2025 at 9:00 PM

    Hi Kaden! I first clicked on your blog after seeing the eye-catching image you had used, showcasing the cycle of life from birth to old age. As I too finally get some time to unwind after writing 4 AP tests, I finally have some time to reflect on the past year and the things I have learnt and kept close to me. I think that it's difficult to see growth and improvement on a daily or regular basis, but occasionally looking back to where we started is truly eye-opening in developing an understanding of how far we have come. As I also reflected within my own blog, as I look back to my growth within just the sphere of learning the English language, my command of writing has grown significantly from when I was a younger student in India. I really appreciate you reminding me to look back and see my own growth, as it is so important to recognize your own milestones to keep up your motivation to keep on improving.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Leila Alabed Week 16: Memories of a Lifetime

Image
     As the school year begins to come to an end, the way in which we reflect on the year, including the words we use to describe our experiences, shifts. Suddenly, all of the bothersome homework assignments and exams become memories and stories to be told, rather than a burden. These stories will continue to be told as we age, as a means of reconnecting with our younger selves and reminiscing the past.   It is interesting how we think so fondly of those memories, despite being overwhelmed with it all in the actual moment. All-nighter study sessions, rushing to meet deadlines, embarrassing moments, all suddenly become nostalgic as we reflect on our past. Once the actual feelings of pressure and stress subside, we are able to look back and make light of our experiences—creating shared stories and memories.    Language is the key component in this evolution, as the way in which we discuss the past ultimately affects how we remember it. The stressful lon...
Read more

Emerly Lee – Week 16: Time Flies

Image
Looking back on the year I realize that time truly does fly. I remember the late nights staying up annotations, the numerous blog posts shared and exchanged, and the times spent breaking my hand doing timed writes all feel like faint memories in the distance. At the beginning of every year, I wait as the next summer break arrives, and at the moment time feels as though it has stopped and plans to never unpause, but as summer arrives it feels as though time has slipped right out of my hands. It is no doubt that this class has pushed me far past what I believed I was capable of, I feel accomplished being able to come out on the other side. While at times I lost motivation to push further, I believe that the rigor has challenged my abilities as a writer. At times I wonder if these challenges are just a trial run for more hardship down the line, this feeling can be scary in the moment, and even scarier when you don’t make it to the other side, however, as I grow I realize you win some batt...
Read more

Anika S. Week 16 - Memory in the Present

Image
Although memories are often perceived as a remnant of the past, they are carried forward to the present in a multitude of manners. This can especially be seen when examining relationships between people, even television characters in otherwise comedic shows as the influence of the past is increasingly prevalent in not only the characters’ perception of one another but also how they treat each other.  In Brooklyn 99, a police sitcom, the relationship between Jake Peralta and his father, Roger Peralta, is strained throughout the course of the entire show, with Jake even making some remarks about wanting the captain of their precinct (Captain Holt) to be his dad which, although humorous, are rooted in truth due to his distrust of his father.  His father left their family at an early age, a betrayal that Jake never got over and the feeling only intensified with every further unpleasant encounter with his father, according to the Brooklyn 99 Wikipedia . These experiences heavily in...
Read more