When I was only two years old, my mom and I moved from the Philippines to live with my dad in Saudi Arabia. Thirteen years later, I was sent to attend boarding school in Wisconsin. Three years later I attended the University of Minnesota, Duluth. Two years later my family moved to Edmonton, Canada. One month later I’m here in Vancouver, attending classes at UBC. Yeah, I guess you can say I’ve been places.
A lesson can be defined as: “a period of instruction. ” Life is a lesson. All of the things I’ve seen, all of the people I’ve met, and all of the of the experiences I’ve had make me the person I am today, and let me tell you, it wasn’t- it isn’t – as smooth as a ride as I anticipated. One of the most vivid situations that I will always keep in my head took place in the summer of June 2007. That summer my dad was scheduled to have heart surgery. Two days before his surgery, he had a heart attack. He survived thanks to my mom’s quick thinking and the actions of the hospital back home. My dad was blessed to have a “second life.”
I had never been more afraid my entire life. It was a wake up call to me and my family. I realized just how much my dad has sacrificed for my family. He has been working his whole life in order to give my brothers and I an education; it is because of my dad that I was able to have been in all of the places I’ve mentioned above and receive an education in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and now in Vancouver, and I will always be grateful for that. Yet the education I am receiving won’t ever come close to what I’ve learned from my dad – sacrifice and appreciation. Be grateful for the things you have in life- family, friends, health
Yes, we’ve all heard of the saying “don’t take things for granted,” yet ironically, we take that same exact phrase for granted. I hope people realize just how significant this phrase is, as things that matter most in life can disappear at the blink of an eye- I have, thanks to my dad.
