Over winter break, I was fortunate to see my family in India after quite a long time. I had missed seeing them and India over the years and was very excited about finally being able to see them again. I thought I would come back from the trip feeling happy, fulfilled (and with a fair share of Indian clothes). And I did!

Just not in the way I expected.

The last time I visited India, I was a young girl. This time, (even though I've still got that little girl in me) I was two years into adulthood and noticed things I'm not sure I did before about my family.

I noticed how hard they worked to achieve everything that they have now, and they still do, all for the sake of their future families. I recall my grandfather telling me about how he was only 16 years old when he came to India after being displaced from his homeland.

After hearing that, I couldn't help but think about what I was doing at 16 years old.

I was in high school, my junior year, in what I now see as a protective cocoon. Yes, I had to work extremely hard to meet my own standards and to get into a good program but that was all for me. I had forgotten that a great deal - if not the majority - of my parent's and grandparent's lives were spent for their children. My grandparents, especially, made sure to work hard enough that they could provide for the education of all of their children.

Not just a few of them, not just the eldest, not just the boys, but all of them.

The life I live today is a product of the sacrifices and efforts of my grandparents and parents and I cannot express how grateful I feel for that. When I see people living on the roadside or selling pens to stopped traffic, my blessings become so much more apparent.

Having an education for me, and many others, is considered a given matter, but it really isn't.

To my entire family in India and in America, thank you for the love you've showered on me and thank you for all the sacrifices you've made so that we can live the way we do.

Love,
Rishika