自我反思是写好个人陈述的重要前提，自我反思可以从身边的小事出发，想想你对身边的人，事，物都是怎样的想法，哪些事件最能体现你的思想和性格？这个过程可能耗时很长，可能让人彻夜难眠，可能让人一时想不清楚，没关系，把你想到的一切都先写下来，写着写着，只要坚持下去，不放弃，终有一时你会有种：“蓦然回首，那人却在灯火阑珊处”的感觉。下面附上一篇自我反思的英文文章，希望对于准备留学的你有所启发。

WHERE ON EARTH DO I BELONG TO?
BY MAGGIE

The scene of merrily playing with my elder sisters and brothers under the big willow tree of my hometown planted by my grandpa often appeared in my childhood dreams. In my impression, grandpa is a wise and reasonable man though my mother does not think so.
 
A couple of weeks ago, I was excited to see my grandfather. A double bed joining together by sofas first came into my eyes when I pushed the door of my parents’ home and walked in with my son near the noon. I immediately realized it was my father’s turn to look after my dear grandpa, so as usual, my parents moved into the living room from the master bedroom.
 
“Mum, is my grandfather in?” I asked. “No, he is walking around downstairs and your father is preparing the special lunch for his esteemed father,” my mother answered with a tone of disdain. With three children upbringing by herself, my dear mother must have been tired out, so that she was full of complaints for my grandparents did not help take care of us. At first, I cannot imagine my amiable and kind-hearted mother, who even received Christmas apples from teenage girls in her work place always speaks ill of my grandparents and even exaggerates their bad sides to me. Now, as a son’s mother I can totally understand her, but I know she does not put herself in my grandparents’ shoes. Nonetheless, I never blame her because she just complains to release her negative emotion. I tell myself never demand others to be a saint. A common person with disadvantages is lovely and real.
 
Smiling without any more words, I led my son to play on the balcony and chat with my younger sister. Unconsciously looking out of the window, I was surprised to find my dear grandpa was sitting silently with an old man side by side. “Do they know each other?” I asked. “Yes, that old man lives in the neighborhood, and every day grandpa will send his friend home,” my younger sister said and blinked her eyes mischievously. Soon, grandpa stood up and gestured to call his friend to go back home. About 10 minutes later, I rushed to open the door and yelled “Grandpa” on hearing the door-knocking sound. He grinned broadly at me and shouted, “Little swallow has come!” in response. I was exhilarated to see my dear grandpa, a hale but deaf widower in his nineties because he reminded me of the big willow tree at my hometown.
 
It can date back to my preschool years. Living in Beijing with my parents, I was rather curious about my hometown, so I would like to go back alone with my uncle to the little village in Jinan, Shandong Province during the Chinese New Year when my parents were busy doing their business. It was much colder at my hometown, so some frostbite appeared on my face, but I really enjoyed seeing things like the arch wood door, the ancient picture wall, the water pump, the manual air bellow for cooking, and the big pit toilet. In the morning boys and young men kowtowed to their elders to express their New Year’s wishes. Grandpa has 6 sons and 2 daughters, so at that time, he had a group of grandsons and granddaughters from 3 to 8 years old. In the afternoon, he led us to a place where only a willow tree standing on the loess ground telling his story. “I planted the tree at my twenties when my mother left the world hoping our family prospers in the future, and you all must remember here is your root no matter where you are.”
 
As an outsider in the city in primary school and a left-behind child during middle school period in the countryside far away from my born place, I was always posted by a special mark, which made me feel uncomfortable. At my adolescence, I always asked myself, “Where is my home? Where do I belong to? However, when I thought of the big willow tree, I felt a bit safe. Therefore, I would like to stay with my grandparents and was curious to listen to their stories during holidays. “Thanks to the virtuous matchmaker, I could marry your pretty grandma who I am not allowed to have a glance before the marriage,” he said and chuckled. Seeing a portrait on the wall of the dining hall hanging above the wood chairs with brown color, in which there was an old man with a similar appearance with my grandpa, I asked “Is it you, grandpa.”“No, it’s my grandpa, thanks to him who lost all the family wealth through betting, and thus we were graded as ‘the middle peasant’ by the communist party,” said with a deep wisdom.
 
Now, years past, my family settles in Beijing and the big willow tree of my hometown has been deeply planted in my heart. When I am sad, I complain, the big prosperous willow tree will appear in my mind that quickly makes me return to a positive mood. The big willow tree is just like a wise sage telling me: let nature take its course.

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