This I Believe

The power of family.

This is me, I was born many years ago in El Paso, Texas. My mother abandoned me, and I was raised by my grandma in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua Mexico.

When I remember that situation it really makes me feel sad. For that reason I grew up hating my mother, but now after several years I am trying to understand her and it is not a very easy task. For I believe family is the most important thing in this world. Family is the base to form a good citizen with love, patience, and freedom.

Most of the time I give thanks to God because my mother left me with my grandmother. It would have been worse if she was left me in the desert or in a garbage bag. To me, my grandma is my family. She was a very strict person who talked about morality, education, and good manners and I never knew what a disco was.

Moreover, with my grandma tenacity, she never hesitated so therefore I have to be a professional. Finally, I finish college in Mexico six years ago and I graduated from The Instituto Tecnologico de Ciudad Juarez with a public accounting degree.

I remember when I was in elementary school and there was a party for a special day like Mother’s Day, I did not like those kind of events. The reason why was because all my friends asked me questions like: ‘Why is not your Mom here?’ I always invented some excuse like she was on a vacation, or she had to work and her boss did not give her permission to leave early. I do not know how many lies like those I have told every special day where parents were required.

My grandma always went to those events, but when you are a child you obviously want the same that all other children have. And I always prayed every night, asking God, (Please send me a wonderful family with a Mom, Dad, brothers and sisters).

Also, my cousins sometimes made fun of me because I did not have a family like them. It was a very frustrating stage of my life. Now I am an adult, but the fact still marks my life. I grew up feeling a lonely sensation that I did not belong to anybody, with a low self-esteem, feeling that I did something wrong and God punished me by not giving me a family, which made me very shy.

My grandma have five daughters but I was the only one who got married with a white dress and with no children, and by the two requirements for her: by the church, and by the court. My marriage is not different than others; there a good days and bad days. The past week we had a very ugly discussion , and we started to tell to each other, (I do not need you because I can be a single mother or father). But after while I was thought I do not want a broken family for my daughter. It was a horrible sensation when others kids asked, (Why do you not have a Mom or a Dad) or when there were events for the parents who are not there. I want with all my heart for my daughter to belong to a nice family who will always be there for her with love and respect.

For me, a good family has a power because they give you the support, love, and patience to face a lot of situations in your daily life.