Through this course I have been baffled by the amount of information I have found to be useful in everyday life. Though this course is centered on the family, I have picked up useful tips for communicating. These two signature assignments stretched me and helped me to learn more about myself and others. As a young woman without kids I had failed to understand the heartbreak mothers go through in trying to have a family, as addressed in my short essay: “Becoming a Parent.” And as a newlywed, I failed to think that my negative comments could already be affecting my husband, which was addressed in my short essay: “Positive Comments.” In order to complete these assignments I had to read the assigned textbook chapters and other course learning material. For many of my other essays I had to conduct personal interviews. For my essay on communication I had to watch what I said around my husband for a week. I feel that these assignments best show my personal growth and adaptation of what I have learned in class, and how I have since applied them to my own life. My hope is that these assignments demonstrate dedication, open-mindedness, and a willingness to try new things. I believe this course has opened my eyes to those around me and taught me that we are all, in some way, a product of our circumstances, though we need not remain that way. I feel I have become a more understanding person, a better communicator, and in lieu of these, a better person.