I am the perseverance that graces my mother’s crown, a woman who lay her life and aspirations to raise her bundle of children. I am her sweat and tears, her tired eyes as she adorns the dining table with her handicrafts, building a home worthy of raising the future influential members of society . I am the smile that dissipates her creeping wrinkles as she observes her brood giving all they’ve got, being the best they can be.

I am my father’s tired shoulders, the tired shoulders that have worked hard to give the best life to his family for as long as he can remember. I am the quieted sorrow that haunted him as he sailed away from his wife and first child, knowing there will be many firsts that he will miss. I am his sacrifice as he brought his family to a country that would give them a better life all the while leaving behind his own.

I am my husband’s smile, shining brightly above the constant unrelenting pain searing down his spine. I am my husband’s strength, never letting anything get him down, working hard to stay ahead. I am my husband’s kindness, towards his family and strangers alike. I am my husband’s love, radiating warmth from every cell in his body.
I am my faith’s hope, a star amongst many, keeping the path lit. I am the beacon it shines, a message of peace and love. I am its struggle, constantly trying to prove itself to the judging eyes of the world. I am its success despite the hate, growing every day, larger and united.

I am the product of the West, prone to freedoms denounced elsewhere in the world. I am the country that gives for open-mindedness, for discourse, for options. I am the nation established on the bones of many heroes, fighting to give their children the best. I am the differences of the citizens that make us a whole.

Besides that…

I am the bookworm in the library corner, eating away at the stories decking the shelves. I am the controller of a gamer girl, curled up with determination to defeat the baddies. I am the brush of an artist, my mind a house to colors and designs. I am the pen of a writer, spinning tales of near and far. I am the happiness of the people who adorn my life with their love.

I am a mosaic and all these pieces are beautiful parts of me.