Oh, the sacrifices we make everyday. We sacrifice sleep to watch more TV, sacrifice our health so we can grab a quick bite at our local fast food joint and sacrifice our assholes to save a buck and purchase the Rite Aid brand of toilet paper. We all know that Charmin is the shit (pun intended) but to save 2 dollars, we buy the cheap store brand and then you start complaining because your asshole starts chafing. Well, that's your fault for purchasing cheap toilet paper. My asshole gets the best, Charmin (Or Quilted Northern Plush because that's on sale sometimes).
But are these true sacrifices? Like many words we use daily, we throw the word sacrifice around but never really stop to think of the meaning of the word. Look up the definition of the word sacrifice. The first definition that pulls up is "the act of slaughtering a person or animal as an offering to God or to a divine supernatural figure."...........No, wait no....that's not the definition I want to talk about.
"An act of giving up something valued for the sake of something else regarded as more important or worthy." Ah yes! That's the definition I'm looking for.
Today is Mother's Day. A day we appreciate our mothers, grandmothers or any guardian in your life that acted as that motherly figure for you growing up. We celebrate all the hard work they put in to raise us, we celebrate their compassion for us, we celebrate their selflessness for us and we celebrate them for all the sacrifices they've made for us throughout their lives.
I was driving up from a wedding today and thinking about my mom and then it hit me, I will never be as strong or as brave as my mother has been her whole life and continues to be. My mom came from a third-world country in her early 20's not knowing a single word in English other than, "Hello", "Thank You" and "No, I don't have any spare change to buy candy for your youth basketball team". She got a job working at Dunkin Donuts, making the minimum wage which was $3.35 an hour. For close to a decade my mom woke up at 5am, went to her job at Dunkin Donuts, took care of my sister and I and learned English. Ten years later, she went into Dime Savings Bank (now Chase Bank) and asked for an opportunity. They gave it to her. My mom worked at Dime/Chase bank for the last 16 years, working her way up in leadership positions. My mom could've stayed where she came from and lived a carefree life with house servants and her family but she along with my dad, came to this country, sacrificed EVERYTHING they had because they knew their kids in the future would have a better life in the United States.
My mom, along with my dad are my God damn heroes. They SACRIFICED everything so that my sister and I wouldn't have to sacrifice anything. I could never make the sacrifices my mom made because she set up my life in a way so that I wouldn't have to make such decisions and sacrifices. My mom wanted to be a dancer growing up, but she came here and worked at Dunkin Donuts. But on the other hand, I can be anything I want to be. Now that's a damn sacrifice.
My mom's story is not unique. It's the story of many of your mothers and guardians. It's the story of many Americans and people around the world. Everyday should be Happy Mother's Day. If you haven't already, take the time to wish your Mother or Grandmother or whoever, a Happy Mother's Day and if you can, give them a hug and a big ass thank you because they deserve it. Also, ask them about their lives. We look at our parents and think they're these robots who are just here to raise us. But like you and I, they've had/have wants, dreams and probably some crazy blackout stories.
Happy Mothers Day to my mom and every single mother or motherly figure out there. Ya'll are the true heroes and true MVP's. Your sacrifices have not gone unnoticed. From me and everyone you've raised and loved unconditionally, we say thank you.
No comments:
Post a Comment