Home is where the heart belongs. I have heard this over and over in my twenty years, but it was only a few months ago when I fully understood what the saying meant. I was born and raised in Memphis, TN, and I never plan on leaving. I recently just turned twenty and reflected back on all the experiences, memories, and blessings I have been given (granted, there were several bumps along the ride, but I would not trade one second of it for the world). As I was looking back, I came to the realization that everything, every moment, and my very being is all due to my parents leaving their own home.
8,513 miles to be exact.
Both of my parents were born and raised in the Philippines — a completely different lifestyle and culture than where I grew up. For 20-plus years, my parents were in the comfort of their family, friends, and loved ones just as I am right now. The only difference between my parents and I though is that they left all of it to come here, the place that I call home.
You may not realize how incredible this is until you really think about it. Think about moving away from your parents, siblings, friends and loved ones, leaving all that you know and understand, what you are accustomed to and your practices to move to a completely foreign place. If you think the first day of high school was nervewracking, imagine having to move to a new country without knowing anyone there. And not to stop there, you have to somehow start a life completely from scratch and build up. What they did was basically the biggest sacrifice any parent can do. (Also, it is not the easiest thing to communicate between countries).
When I was young, I never really thought about how my parents raised me. It was just what I was used to. Then I started elementary school where I met a completely different group of people. My classmates did not do things the same way I did, and they were not taught the same way I was - this is where it all began. I was embarrassed by both my parents and my culture because it was not like everyone else.
Being young, all you want to do is be like everyone else.
Due to the embarrassment, I tried my best to hide my culture. For example, one of the biggest things about being Filipino is that you ALWAYS greet your family whenever you first see them. Once your parents come home from work, you better stop what you are doing and welcome them home. Apparently, that was not a norm with the kids I grew up with.
As I got older, I would travel to the Philippines to visit my extended family. With each visit, it was harder to leave, knowing that each time could be the last time I ever see them again. I obtained a better understanding that you do not get to see these people every Thanksgiving or Christmas. I would miss my cousins' birthdays, graduations, and other life events. Years would go by before I could ever see my grandparents again. With each visit, my relationship with my family would be stronger, making it that much harder to say goodbye.
Then it hit me.
If it was so hard for me to say bye to people I just met, I cannot imagine the feelings my parents have when they have to say bye to the people they grew up with. I can never imagine packing up my things and having to leave the life I am so familiar with, having to say goodbye to the people I have created so many memories with. However, this is exactly what my parents did, not just for themselves, but for me.
Now that I am older, talking to my parents I understand that they left to have a better life. In knowing that they wanted to start a family, they wanted to move to a place where it will be prosperous and filled with many opportunities, the opportunities that I have now. My parents thought about me before I was even an actual being. My parents left their home, so I can now have mine.
Knowing all of this, I realized that my past twenty years could have been completely different. However, my parents had it already planned out, and I cannot thank them enough. The best part about this is, my parents are not the only ones. There are so many parents that make such grand sacrifices that us children will never see until a certain point. I just hope to be half the person my parents are.
