Wiping the small droplets of sweat running down my face, I sit in front of my closet with my clothes disorganized across the floor, as I stare blankly at the “keep” and “donate” pile. My mother appears at the doorway with a fresh bundle of clothes and an endless stream of t-shirts, hats, jeans, and jackets begins to pour before me. The Christmas clothes drive is a grueling, yet, special activity I cherish because it reflects the values my family has planted within me.
Coming from a Korean family, I grew up in a household where “selflessness” and “collectivism” expressed our lifestyle and accepted family values. And adjacent to these values was the importance of cooperation and harmony. Thus, I have captured most of my appreciated childhood memories through volunteering. It was second-nature for our family to devote our Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays at a homeless shelter, while we stood at the frontline of each charity and volunteer event sponsored by our church.
The homeless shelter became one of my family’s beloved destinations. However, on my first visit, I looked at the homeless with a grimace of disgust. I struggled to resist the acrid and musty stench that defined the shelter. But with each visit, the stench had transformed into an essence of warmth, which I have come to greet with familiarity. Yet, before me was not only my family, but volunteers of diverse ethnicity and age – people who allowed me to become aware of the greater sense of accomplishment and joy that came when we worked collectively. I also learned to build relationships with the homeless. Some of my most intellectual and stimulating talks about Colombian refugees have been with a homeless man, while my most grateful life lessons about perseverance have been gifted to me by a ten year old orphan girl. Through their words and stories, I have been able to genuinely cherish the social responsibility that has been encouraged by my family values.
So, why do I do what I do? Because I aspire to practice my morals and go where my family values take me. I have much time ahead of me, and I am confident that my family values will lead me where I am needed.
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