As immigrants in this country, my parents did their best to provide me with the life they dreamed for themselves. Today, I live a comfortable life. However, when my mom hands me jewelry and I look at the ring on her finger, I am reminded of the sacrifices that my parents had to make to provide me with the life I live. It was a rough transition for my parents coming from India to the United States. We only had each other to rely on. My dad did any work he could find to support us with the necessities we needed to survive. When my dad lost his job, we faced immense pressure. Our funds were running low, and we reached a breaking point. My mom offered to sell her jewelry. The jewelry that was gifted to her for her wedding. The jewelry that signified her homeland, that went back generations upon generations, she sold, for us, for the possibility of having a better future. While she sold almost all of her jewelry, she kept on to one piece of jewelry. A ring that her father gifted her. This ring was one of the only objects left in the United States that tied her to her father and her home in India. Through the hard work and determination of my parents, my mom was able to buy her jewelry again. Though it may not be the same pieces she once had, it serves as a realization that we've made it to that better life we imagined. Today, as I hold my mom’s hand and see the ring her dad gifted her, I am reminded of the countless sacrifices that my parents have made for me to be where I am. For that, I am forever grateful.

– ZT

Relationship:  Im/migrant who arrived as a child Im/migrant who arrived as a child