Personal Narrative: From Coming To America

January 11, 2013, I wake up to yelling, prayers, and crying. I walked into the kitchen where all the noises were coming from and I found my mother on the floor crying, talking on the phone with my godmother. My father was there by her side, trying hard not to cry while supporting his wife. I didn’t know what was happening, this was the first time I’ve seen my mom so vulnerable and broken. My parents didn’t tell me anything other than my grandmother was in critical condition at the hospital, but with god's help she would overcome this hard time. My mom hung up the phone and went to “La Grande” a Mexican store to buy a card to call my uncle in Cuba, to see how my grandmother was doing. My godmother has two daughters who work at the hospital

I was constantly depressed, and crying myself to sleep knowing that I didn’t say goodbye to her, that she wouldn’t be there for my quinceanera. My grandmother was the person that influenced my parents into coming to America, and finding a future for me, a better education, and opportunities, things I would never achieve in Cuba. My mom would always tell me to study hard, and keep moving forward because my grandmother would always ask about me and how i’m doing in school, as well as to keep pursuing my dreams. At school I was able to focus on my work with the help of my friends. They were there by my side, and many of them understood my pain because they have once lost a grandparent in their life before, they would tell me that the pain would pass by soon, and that life keeps going. At school I piled myself with work from classes I knew I would get distracted I was able to forget my pain. With my grandmother’s passing I saw my future in helping others, and working on the medical field as a nurse. I know you can’t save everyone, but I would like to help them, and make their pain go away, or at least treat them until their final days. I have volunteered at the Food Bank, where I package rice to send to people around the world are food insecure. I am excited for the future, and I know I have an angel up there looking down upon me and guiding me through