My grandfather was a man who could impact a person’s life in both negative and positive ways. Not too long after having kids with my grandmother, they divorced, leaving my mom and her two siblings split across the week between two parents. My mother grew up very poor, and thus grew up with the mentality of appreciating what she had over longing for what she didn't. She’d appreciate the food she ate rather than yearn for the full meals she lacked, as small things were satisfactory for her. She had no luxury of painkillers and many cotton-based hygiene products, thus withstanding her pain and using old rags around the houses.Her father, my grandfather, liked to collect kitchen items casually. He didn't use them much himself, but there was a particular set he wanted to share.It was a couple of delicate green tea cups with simple yet intricate patterns on them.When my mother and father married, then moved to the United States along with my grandmother and half-brother, they had my brother and I.My grandfather was very happy with his new grandchildren, coming to visit occasionally. Eventually, he brought the cups with him, intending them to be used by my brothers and I.Soon after, he died due to smoking-induced lung problems.Although the cups were never used as intended, and my aunt now has one, their sentimental value was never lost on my mother and me.

– Noelia L.

Relationship:  Child of im/migrant Child of im/migrant