Family

I believe in family. I believe in families that grow together. I believe in families that stay together. I believe in the power that a family has. That power is named love and makes dreams come true. I believe in my family because even though they are far away from me physically, they are close emotionally. I believe this because my family always “holds my hand” and helps me continue my life’s journey in both happy and sad moments.

I remember my dad working hard to give my mother, my older sister, and me all that we needed. Although he has been through difficult moments in his life, he is a man who never loses his hope. He is a man of few words, especially when expressing his love for his family. He is a man who shows love for his family and we always come first to him. I will never forget Friday nights. Almost every Friday, after a long day at work, he used to stop by at a small store close to our house and buy my sister and me something. It did not matter what, but we knew that we were going to get our “Friday treat.” We used to fight over “the best” gift, even though they were always exactly the same. My sister and I grew up and stopped fighting with each other and started fighting for and taking care of each other. We were always sharing laughs and tears, happiness and sadness. We were always sharing love. Many were the moments that I felt myself become strong because of her. Many were the moments that I felt myself become strong for her. I used to say that my sister and I are like the sun and the moon, the black and the white. We are halves that together make a complete whole.

My mother deserves all appreciation that a daughter can have for a mother. I do not know how to express in words all that she has done for me. Since my difficult birth she has been there for me. Sometimes using her words, sometimes silence. Sometimes using her gentle gestures, sometimes using her tough gestures. All the time being patient. And she is really patient, I admit it. She never gave up, even though she was at her limits. Actually, I think in certain moments life pushed her over her limits, but mother’s love always makes her keep going. Once, after my eight toe surgery, the stitches festered and it was extremely painful. On the second day after surgery, the pain kept me awake all night long. My mother sat close to my bed beside me, massaging my foot. She tried to do what the medicines did not do: stop the pain. The massage helped and I slept for a while. So did she. When I opened my eyes I noticed that she was moving her hands unconsciously. Tired, she fell asleep, but her love for me made her keep massaging my foot even though she was not awake.

Love is what a family should be. Love is what my family gives to me. Today I am who I am because of them. Honesty, dignity, and respect for myself and for others have all been learned from them. Today I am who I am for them. In certain moments when I am tired and I think I cannot go ahead in my journey, I just think about what my family went through in their lives. I wonder why they never stopped when they faced hard moments. Then, I realize that the reason was me. In that moment I feel myself become strong, ready to keep going, and succeed in my life. Thus I will be able to recompense them for all the happy moments that I have had in my life.