For the next 26 days, I will be blogging about 26 extraordinary people (or persons) that have made a fundamental impact in my life, either in challenging me or making me the person I am today. They are #26reasonswhy I am alive, and the way I am. The posts will be in no specific order, except for of course this one.
And of course, the first post is dedicated to my Mom & Dad, who I certainly owe my life to.
My parents came to America when I was three years old in 1993. Despite not knowing English, they spent their entire livelihood working and raising me (and my 5 other siblings, mind you). They would get up at 6 AM in the morning, and sleep at midnight every day, working a manual labor job straight from their garage. This entailed sewing, threading, among lots of other mundane tasks that most people would get bored of after an hour of work. I didn’t realize it when I was a kid, but they spent their entire days working to provide for all of us to make sure we would never have to starve or worry about food. Needless to say, I wasn’t raised in an affluent lifestyle, nor was I raised in a manner where I got to fully enjoy my childhood. And so, I try to dedicate as much of my life as possible to making sure my students get exposed to experiences that will make them appreciate life more. With that in mind, I will try to bring my parents the experiences they have never had because they have spent a majority of their life working. Thankfully, they are retired now, and can see the full blossoms of their success – 2 pharmacists, 1 working at a Mattel, one staying at home, one Maintenance Lead, and of course the teacher.
In terms of character traits I have acquired from my parents, see the chart below:
My mom took care of me, and was always really nice and understanding in doing so. Whenever I threw temper tantrums as a kid over food (running to my room and slamming the door), my mom would quickly come to me with a newly cooked plate of food to serve my everyday needs. In many ways, I try to be as caring and nurturing as possible to the people around me, maybe at even my own personal expense.
My dad is generally a very funny person, especially when he socializes with other people. I try to lighten the mood in social occasions as well. However, his tendency to worry about work and get angry easily certainly have resonated in me and my other sibling’s behaviors where we are quick to get upset over something that might be seen as something very small.
Perhaps the best quality I have taken from both of my parents is their work ethic. They know to work hard now, to make a easier life later. They know how to work. That is why I have worked so hard from elementary school to present to try to be the best at every possible thing I do. If I don’t do the best, I am ultimately disappointed in myself and seek change.
Whatever the case, I am grateful to have had the parents I have had in my life, and hope to cherish the rest of my experiences with them on this planet. #26reasonswhy
