Sacrifices

My parents got married when they were both nineteen years old, and never had a chance to attend college.  My mom became pregnant with my older sister just a year after they were married, and had me three years after that.  They both came from poorer families, so they had to support us all on their own.

 

My dad started his own company when I was in elementary school.  He worked ridiculously long hours every day of the week.  Since we couldn’t afford a house that was closer to his workplace, he slept at his office most days.  When he actually did come home early enough for us to be awake, we would run straight to the door as soon as we heard the garage opening.  We would run into his arms because we didn’t get to see him very often.

 

My mom had to work from 4pm to 6am every weekday.  She would pick us up after school and take us home to make us lunch.  Then she would take us to our grandparents’ house right before she left for her late shift.  As soon as she got off of work, she would drive straight back to their house to pick us up before school.  I remember her carrying us up from our beds in the early morning and placing us in the backseat, where we slept until she carried us back into our beds at home.  Then she would wake us up and get us ready for school.  She would cook our breakfast, pack us our lunches and drop us off at the school.  Some days, she would oversleep and forget to pick me up after school.  I remember how sad I was, waiting in the office for my mother who had forgotten about me.  But I now realize that she was late because she was always exhausted from spending every waking minute working determinedly to take care of us.

 

Why do I do what I do?  Because my parents made enormous sacrifices so that I could have a better life.  Not everyone gets the privilege to learn, and education is a gift that should not be wasted or taken for granted. 

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