Cherishing The Unseen
Written by F. A.
For young adults from immigrant families, so that they appreciate the small, everyday things that reflect their family's love and sacrifice.
“Be grateful for small things, big things, and everything in between. Count your blessings, not your problems” - Mandy Hale
“Look at everything around you, these are all the hours I spent working hard to give you these things”, my mom said during a heated argument in my room when I was 16 years old. She scolded me for how messy my room was and said that I didn’t value my things enough.
I did take a look around. I saw tons of items scattered on my desk and thought, wow I don’t need all of these. It was only after a few days that I realized my mother meant more than just the random things that were on my desk.
Lying on my bed before I fell asleep, I started thinking about my desk. All these items wouldn’t be scattered if I didn’t have a desk. If I didn’t have a desk, where would I do my homework? On my bed? If I didn’t have a bed where would I sleep? The couch in the living room? But I have a room. I have a room under an actual house. All this spiraling made me start thinking of things that I don’t pay attention to. How my fridge is filled with food, how my house is kept warm throughout the cold winters, and how much memories my small but comfy home has given me.
My family has always been simple, it took me a while to understand that everything around me has been obtained with hard work and love. Looking back at the age of 9, when I first arrived in America, the first thing that my mom bought me as a gift was a medium-sized teddy bear. To replace the teddy bear in the Philippines that I couldn’t bring with me. I remember just crying and being so sad that I couldn’t bring my item of comfort with me to a place that felt too big and foreign at the time. To this day, I still have my teddy bear with me, I cherish and hold it dear to my heart, knowing that she bought it with her hard work and love despite not having much income back then.
Small things pile up and lead to bigger things, and bigger things are definitely worth celebrating. The things in the middle— the inconspicuous signs of love and hard work— are just as important to recognize and be grateful for.
How do you remind yourself to be grateful daily? Comment with your tips!
