Beautiful post Equus.
I can think of lots of life-changing events. Some occurred over a stretch of time and happened slowly, others seemingly overnight or instant. Still others are things that happened when I was very young and didn't then understand their significance, only to experience a major life change upon their discovery. Events that occurred while I was in the womb possibly altered my existence on earth forever. I experienced a traumatic birth in which I almost died, and I wonder about that too.