Wk 2 -Comment to Saray

Saray's post:
I was touched in so many levels by the first four chapters of this book. And, I feel like sharing this personal anecdote.

In 1996, my whole family moved to the U.S. from Mexico because my dad was getting his master's degree. My sister and I did not know any English and this was the day before school. Our parents called us to the living room and told us something that went like this: we want you to know that to us you are the most beautiful, intelligent, funny, and amazing daughters in the whole world and nothing or no one will make us think differently of you. We know that you don't know any English. We know that you will struggle, and when you get a failing grade, we want you to know that we will see an A because we see the effort you put in, because we see you growing, because we see you becoming women of outstanding character. Don't worry about grades, go live and enjoy our two years here. Make the most of it and if in the way, your grades happen to be A's, so be it... That evening, a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders, I was no longer scared, I was ready to take over the world!

Needless to say, my sister and I did extremely well. Due to language immersion, we were proficient in English within 4 months. I went on to tutor in Spanish, French, and Chemistry after school and took some extra courses to graduate a year early. My parents believed in me and that made the difference. I was given an A and the rest was history.


My comment:
Wow, your post was so inspiring. Your visual collage was beautiful. I am glad to see that someone else was touched by this week's reading as well. It sounds like you have awesome parents, and I believe it is the love and support of parents that cause children to soar and strive for excellence. As teachers, we see students everyday who long for such approval and acceptance. Unfortunately, many parents today are so self-absorbed that they don't see this longing in their children. May we always take the time to reach out to these students and show them love and support. Your post made me want to remind my two beautiful daughters (ages 12 and 16) of how much I love them and will always be there for them to support and encourage their growth and efforts.