I always thought peoples idea of an American dream were vague and all the same. A wide variety of people  wanted fame or fortune with a luxurious house with a white picket fence and a clean, green lawn . Numerous amount of peoples American dream would be exactly that, but my moms wasn't quite like that. My mother's idea of an American dream consisted of having a better future for her family. With her hard working skills and dedication she did just that, she raised three healthy kids that are all currently attending school or working. 

 

          I always knew that my mom would do anything for her family. Family to her has always been her first priority. I have noticed that all the blood and effort she puts into her work, is for my siblings and I. My mother had a tough childhood, but she always liked to pay attention to the brighter side of her problems even when it seems like it can get any worse. She states that she had a beautiful yet tough childhood. Her dad passed away in her young years while she didn't have much communication with her mother. She grew up with five older brothers, she’s the youngest and never enjoyed hanging out with her sisters because she thought the activities they did for fun were dull compared to what her brothers would do. Therefore, my mom considered herself as one of the guys since she spent her free time with them. She liked gathering all the kids from the block and playing baseball and using the corners of the intersection as the bases, or ride their bikes down to the gardens and peel mangoes from the trees in the farmlands. As I talk to her now she said the way kids act aren't how they used to be. She exclaims "ahora los niños no son felices si no tienen sus teléfonos o iPods, estan aburridos y allí se perdieron el dia" meaning that kids nowadays aren't as cheerful if they don't have their electronic devices and waste their time on their phones and I pods.

 

         My mom always knew the right decision to make. She was a teenage mom with my oldest brother, Edgar. She knew that a life in Mexico wouldn't be as beneficial as it would be in the U.S. for my brother.  So she moved her with my brother to the U.S. This event in her life had a both negative and positive outcomes. She had lost complete connection with her family from Mexico, but on the other hand, she had a place to stay and made the right choice in moving to the United States. Her dream was to have a better future for my older brother and from my point of view, she was successful. My brother graduated Humboldt State University  with a major in Psychology. Without my mother's actions back as a young adult my brother wouldn't be the successful responsible person he is today.

 

            Knowing how dedicated my mom is, it shocks me that she didn't pursue her dream. But she has her reasons for it. Ever since she was a little girl she wanted to be an airline worker. She liked the way they would dress in the nice suits with the neat hats and the thought that they travel around the world was an extravagant idea to her. With all the other things she had going on in her life, such as having a boy at such a young age and not having money for school, she already knew that school wasn’t an option. At the end of the topic, she acknowledged “Solo fue un sueño” meaning it was only a dream.She now tells me to always follow my dreams and take advantage of every opportunity I have in life. 

 

             I have much respect for my mother because of the things that she has done even though she didn't finish school or achieved her childhood dream of working as an airline assistant. She did reach her other dream, she raised three smart children and did give my older brother the opportunities that she didn't have of going to college.