Example Essay
I didn’t grow up with just my mother and father, my Grandmother played a huge role in my life. I call her Lola, which means grandmother in Tagalog. My mother left Philippines to establish herself in the United States when I was a little over two years of age and left me in the care of my Lola. My Dad was also there, but she took over the role of my mother. She taught me a lot about life at a very young age. And even when I reunited with my real mother a few years later, I still kept the closeness to my grandmother as nothing had changed. Growing up, I realized that I carry many of her characteristics.
Lola showed me that hard work always pays off. It may not always show in cash or praises, but the feeling of doing your best for your family made us a tight knit bunch. Family was everything to her. And there wouldn’t be anything that she wouldn’t do to help me or anyone else. Motherly instincts don’t always show in every woman, but she showed me what a wonderful mother would be all about. She was constantly cooking, cleaning, doing laundry sweeping and so on. She was constantly busy! But would stop in her tracks when I would visit. She would make coffee and snacks and we would sit talking for hours. She made me acknowledge that family comes first.
There is nothing that you can’t do! She would say to me. And I know those words from as far as I can remember. She was always a support. Even when I was very young, she would always tell people that I would always say, “I can do that”. Even at the hardest levels. She made me feel that nothing was impossible and to do the best at whatever you do.It was never a push or forced upon me, it just filled me up with pride just knowing that I could do it. And to also know that I made her proud.
The biggest and most important thing that she had taught me, was to be myself . She taught me the presents of human kindness, love and dedication to family, but to also have dedication to myself. “Don’t let anyone tell you who you are. You are who you want to be”. The lesson to accept myself over whatever anyone else thought of me would be especially difficult as a teenager. But I have to say that without her diligence in proving that I was making myself more miserable by not loving myself first. I learned and to this day, find it important to do the same to my children.
I could not ever, in a million years, see my life without my Lola. I thought that I would always have her by my side. That was a comfort that I had to let go in August 2007. At first, I felt that all of the things that she taught me disappeared. I became selfish and mad at the whole world and everyone in it. I lost my mother, grandmother,and best friend. For a short time I hid those characteristics and became miserable once again. About a year went by and I woke up one morning with the feeling of regained spirits. The memories came back and all of the conversations we had came to mind. All I could think of is what she had said to me. So, I learned also that her words were not just words, but my lessons in life. And I hold my head high because of the person that she taught me that I could be.
No comments:
Post a Comment