5 Foreign Signs Your Parent is From Another Country

In case readers haven't noticed, I like to talk and write a lot about my childhood. I may be bias, but mine seems to have been pretty spectacular- and unique. Growing up, I could always tell that my life was much different from most of my friends because my mom was different from most of the other moms. At around age 12, my mom moved to the States from Cairo, Egypt where she was born and spent most of her childhood. Within her parenting, my mom incorporated much of her own parents' raisings, culture, and genetics from overseas and to this day I still carry it with me and live by it.

1. You put food on my plate, and I'll eat it.

I was the four-year-old eating raw oysters off a cracker on vacation. Never afraid to try anything, I wouldn't even ask what was on my plate as long as there was a fork and napkin next to it. Some of the first foods I ate were Egyptian cuisines and included every seafood and vegetable you can think up. AND, From the time that I can remember first eating I was 1) never allowed to leave food on a plate before getting up from the table after a meal and 2) had to try everything at least once before refusing to eat it. And to this day, although I may not LOVE everything I eat, I can eat pretty much anything on any menu.

2. You have a noticeable work ethic

Having family from out of the country, I come from a long line of people who were competitive and ambitious to get themselves and their children to where they are today. This was instilled in from me since I started potty-training. Now, everything is a competition against the myself to do better and be better.

3. You know more than one way to say "Hello"

On top of the language you were required to take in high school, and the English greeting "Hey", you're used to at least one other way of greeting people. Even though I am not fluent in the Arabic language, I am familiar enough with it after almost 19 years of hearing my mom and her family speak it at every family function when they're telling each other what they bought the kids for Christmas.

4. The sun is either your best friend or your worst enemy

Luckily, the sun and I have a great relationship. Give me an hour or two outside for about two days in a row, and my fair skin gets a nice, warm tan that most of my friends have to pay for.

5. You learn to be grateful for everything, both big and small.

Whenever you whine or complain about the internet being slow, your parent reminds you to be happy that you even have internet. Our parents have lived in other places not nearly as fortunate as the United States in most cases. They instill in us that everything should be appreciated, nothing taken for granted.

This isn't to say that American-born parents are any less successful in parenting or less invested in their children. These are just five things that are emphasized through the raisings of most kids my age who I've met with parents from other countries. So next time you see me eating crayfish or raw salmon at a restaurant, or mindlessly committing to a 48-hour work week because we are short-staffed at work, in my case anyways- I get it from my momma.