My Family

My family

By Maria G. Serrano

I have heard about a family that is very united, hard working and lovely. They are ten in total; nine of them live in United States. They share their belongings and nobody can say something is hers or his because all they have belongs to everyone. They are working hard to help the one who is in this country to be with them, too. They love each other so much and enjoy being together.

Also my parents have worked hard in different ways. During the years they have had different kind of jobs, good and bad. My mother had spent twenty years working at fabric factories and cleaning houses. At present, she just takes care of an old sick woman. My father has had worked in seven different kinds of jobs. He used to be a soldier from the air force in Santo Domingo and a police officer. He used to work at some factories like rice factories, bottles factories, and environment factories. At present, he is sick at home. He suffers from diabetes, but he is waiting to get better to work with a cousin on a project. As my parents were always working, I remember them most of the time. They were busy to earn money for our necessities. I do not even remember if they bought something for themselves. I remember that sometimes, we even could not see them because of their jobs. They used to get up very early in the morning and arrive home very late at night. As a result of this situation, they started to feel sick and very exhausted. Their rhythm of working hard turned to be different and slower. I could see through their eyes how difficult getting up early was being. The incredible thing for me is that they never complained. They just did what they were supposed to do even though it was very hard for them. Sometimes, I am in my bedroom doing homework and my mother comes to lay on my bed. She always starts saying “Wow, I remember the person I used to be, full of strength and youth. Now look at me. I am old, with blood pressure problems, and with no strength.” Then she says “try to be better than me because I wasted so much time at fabric factories to be able to start a career at the university and I could not do it”. Knowing this, I have to finish the university and let them know that all they did was worthy. I know that they have done everything for me, everything to see me finishing my studies. Even though they know that they are not as young and strong as before, but they are sure that their goal of giving us a better life was reached.

At the same time in my family, unity means a lot. When someone has a problem it is everyone`s problem. If someone is sick, everyone is aware about it. Every time something comes up, we get together trying to find a way to solve the problem or the situation. My parent`s relationship has been based in unity since the beginning. I remember when I was a child. If I wanted to go to a place I had to ask both for permition because they were like one, or if I needed something I had to tell both about it. Spending money was another thing. I know about couples that work a lot but they do not have unity because what they earn is not shared between them. When my parents earned their money, they shared it and let us know all the time that they were one. As a family, we used to go out for dinner, play some games at home, go fishing, and go to rivers. At this time, it is difficult doing it because of my father`s health. During my life, I have seen how united my family is. I know people that they behave like enemies, being brothers and sisters or husbands and wives. That is why when someone is in love with me the first thing my parents look for is about his education and about his relationship with his parents or his parents` relationship. A family that has a good relationship is a very united family. Unity in a family is very important. If a family is united, everything is possible. Everything can be reached.

My family expresses love through different ways: caring, paying attention to the needs that each one has, and giving good advice in some situations. Expressing love is not only by sharing feelings; we do it with presents too. If someone goes shopping, he or she tries to get at least something to each one. Love is what we feel the most. It is the most important thing in my family. I have seen how my family has developed love during the years. I have noticed that when we are angry at someone for different reasons, it is just for a few minutes. It is not in serious at all. I remember that in my childhood, my brothers and I used to behave. My parents did not have to that threaten us. They just had to look at us directly and it was enough for us to understand what it meant. Right away, we were quiet. I used to cry for things that were not important at all. My family showed me that everything was ok in a lovely way, that I did not have to be worry about it. In my childhood, as my parents were always working, I used to miss them a lot. My brothers and I just could enjoy them more on Saturdays and Sundays. I did not understand why we could not be together the other days. As I was growing up, I started to see and understand everything. I could see that they were doing all those things because they love us. Having lovely parents is a blessing. I think I can do anything. Although they were not with us for a long time, they always showed great love for us. Today, my brothers and I are what we are thanks to my parents. I am glad that in my family, we enjoy that wonderful love. Without this love we would not be what we are.

In conclusion, I have seen how difficult life has been for my family. During the years, they have been working a lot to support us. They have been united to satisfy our necessities. Even though we tended not to see them, sometimes, love was there with us. All the time, they showed us that they cared about us in all the ways. During the years, I have learned that I have to thank God every day for having such a great family. Because of my parents, I am the person that I am today. I have noticed that some daughters and sons from my neighborhood do not study or care about having a good job or having a good education. My parents were always telling me that I had to study, get a good job, and be a professional. I have learned from them to be a person who does not give up when she wants to reach a goal. Without my family I would not be what I am.

San Francisco de Macorís 2011