Bilingual Blessing
Language is a huge part of life and it can be used as both a
bridge and a barrier when it comes to connecting with people. My mother truly
understood the power of language and because of her, I am blessed to be able to
speak, read, and write in two different languages. As a kid, I would spend a
lot of time with my family. For those of you who don’t know family time is a
huge part of life in the Latin culture. My mom and I spent a lot of time
together but the most memorable thing for me was when we would all gather for
breakfast. I would wake up on Saturday mornings to the sweet smell of freshly
made pancakes.
My mom's pancakes where very fluffy and on the thin side
because they are made from organic ingredients.
My mom has always been into nutrition and making sure you keep your body
healthy. Nevertheless, I would wake up to the sweet smell of pancakes and the
loud sound of gospel music ringing through my ears. I was always a morning
person, so a little music wouldn’t bother me especially if it meant waking up
to pancakes. When it was time to eat mom would turn down the music as she
hummed the last note of a song and would serve the food. I would usually go
first because I was the youngest and my sister would be mad about it, but it
didn’t faze me. For us meals weren't
about food, they were about conversing, storytelling, sharing, and laughing. It
was a special moment in our house, that was all done in Spanish, not English.
Once the table was cleared off and all the excess syrup was
wiped off the table, my mom would pull up one of the old beat up chairs and sit
next to me with some Spanish books. I was enrolled in a bilingual course in
school, but my mom wanted to take part in teaching and helping me develop my
Spanish skills. After every Saturday morning breakfast, this dedicated woman
would pull up the same beat-up chair and either help me with homework that was
all in Spanish or teach me something new when it came to the language. Some
days it was enjoyed and some it was forced but we would sit their rain or
shine. At times I would remember listening to the clock tick away while I
desperately tried to finish my readings in time. The thing that impacted me the
most was seeing how much importance my mom put into developing my language
skills. It was something that has stayed with me to this day and something I
will never forget.
I was in third grade when I really started seeing the
effects of learning Spanish at home. I was ahead of the whole class when it
came to reading and writing in both English and Spanish. My parent teacher
meetings didn’t last long at all because the teachers didn’t have anything for
me to work on. I remember the smile it put on my mom's face to hear about how
good I was doing in school. It made her feel like she was doing her job as a mother.
My mother was a huge support to me in school and was a big part of my academic
success. Growing up in an encouraging environment is something that I didn’t
take for granted and I am very thankful for.
At a young age I realized that my family was different from
a lot of my friends' families, but I never really thought much of it. We looked
different, spoke different, had different traditions, etc. But it really didn’t
bother me. My mom set up our household to be confident in our culture and be
okay with being different. My mother was a single mom with three kids, she is a
strong confident woman that has everlasting faith in God. She was always
committed to us and did all that she could to see us succeed. I remember her
teaching me everything from the ABCs to reading “La Casa en Mango Street” by
Sandra Cisneros and having discussions about the chapters. As I grew up our
study sessions started to seem more and more like bonding time and less like
studying. I started enjoying it and realizing that my mother used the Spanish
language to grow a bond with me.
As I grew up, the Saturday breakfasts continued to happen
and so did the Spanish study sessions. The funny thing is I thought that after
a while my mom would get tired or forget about wanting to help me learn. But as
the years went by I realized that I underestimated the persistence and
dedication that my mother has. I learned to cherish the time that we spent
together and saw it as an opportunity to get closer to my mom, my culture, and
my language. It was something beautiful that you don’t see very often.
Something that has stuck with me and something that I will one day pass down to
my kids. I promised myself that I would spend time with my kids to teach them
about our culture and pass down my language to them. Just as my mom did with
me. I want to have that special bonding time where I get to pass down something
that will help them in their journey of life.
A couple of years ago on a cold and foggy Saturday morning,
I sat down with my mom after eating and we had an important conversation. I
asked her why she made time for us to learn Spanish and why was she so
passionate about it. She looked into my eyes and told me that being an
immigrant in this country is not easy. She told me that she wanted me and my
siblings to have a better life then she had growing up. She wanted us to have
an advantage, an upper hand, and that’s what being bilingual would do. It would
open the doors to better jobs, pay, benefits, etc. My mom wanted us to succeed.
She was right, being bilingual has opened so many doors and
I'm thankful for the time my mom took to teach me. Because of her, I've got to
be a part of mission groups, internships, schools, etc. I've impacted the lives
of many sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ through song and scripture. I've
translated many letters and articles and done so much more. I have an advantage
in life because of my mom. I will always be grateful for the sacrifices she's
made for me. With this experience, I have learned the true beauty of language
and how important it is.
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