Spiritual Inspiration

Early that morning, it was snowing in great flakes. Everything was covered by the heavy snow. In my hometown, I had never seen snow before; however, I knew a Chinese saying: “People originally are like snowflakes. As they fall down to the ground, they have no relation to each other. But when they reach the ground, they melt into water and flow together with other melting flakes before freezing to form a piece of ice.” In China, people use this saying to describe how a family forms. We are born into this world alone, but we become parts of something greater. Family values have a great influence on Chinese people. I thought about this as I looked through the window at the snowflakes. I felt so cold. That was the tenth day after I had come to the United States, and I still could not find a high school. I was really upset about this new country, this new environment because my mother and I had spent the whole week searching for a school, and as a result, my mother had caught a cold.
“Mom, you had better buy a cup of coffee!” I held her hand and tried to persuade her to buy one on the street. She didn’t listen to me and continued rushing to the subway station. I was stubborn, standing in front of the coffee store, not moving. I thought that my mother would be so angry and yell at me. Instead, I saw that her eyes were filled with tears. She did not say a word but turned away from me. Looking at her quivering back, I was drawn to think about this woman in front of me.
This fragile woman had been treated unfairly because of me. I had born in a strict and traditional family. Grandpa and grandma were conservative and obstinate persons, unhappy about my gender. They preferred boys. Because of this, my grandparents didn’t give any help when my mom really needed it. Moreover, my grandpa always took care of my uncle’s son and played with him. I remember being alone for most of my childhood. My mother felt so sorry about what I suffered. Because of this, she brought me a lot of books and cartoons. She said: “You can make friends with books. You won’t feel alone. They will show the unexpected world and teach you. Remember, knowledge is power!” At that time, I was not sure what she meant, but I enjoyed the books. One day, when I was reading two articles titled “Knowledge Can Decide Your Fate” and “How To Raise Women’s Position,” I totally understood my mom. Gender, we cannot decide, but our lives are controlled by ourselves.
Regrettably, my family’s destiny totally changed in a day. I still remember that my father had a good job in China. He was the main provider in my family. Unfortunately, my father’s right eye was injured in an accident one day and due to this, my mother had to take over my father’s responsibilities. My mother immediately decided to quit her job and took my father to the best hospital. In order to cure my father’s eye, she spent all the money we had and also took out a high interest loan. My family became really poor during that time. Moreover, the spring semester was coming and my sister and I needed to pay high tuition to go to school. She was so worried about our education. One day, she heard the news about an opportunity to make money in America. In the beginning, she didn’t know anything about the United States but despite how hard it would be in America, she still wanted to try and she sacrificed herself to improve my family’s condition. The day she left, she didn’t want us to tell my father because she knew my father would stop her.
A decade ago, my mother flew to the United States in search of a better life. No matter what obstacles she faced, she never shed a drop of tears. However, that day on the sidewalk her eyes were full of tears because I had asked her to have a cup of coffee. I just wanted her to take care of herself. I felt ashamed. She had gotten sick because of me; I thought about how much I owed her. Tears were running out of my eyes.
My mother was flustered; she held me tightly and said: “Don’t worry, I am ok!” She was touched by how much I cared about her; she whispered: “Mother promises you we definitely will find a school. You are my child; you won’t give up, right?” I nodded firmly. “I won’t stop!” I smiled at my mom while my tears ran down my face. Meanwhile, I realized that she felt so happy. In that moment, I comprehended something: In parents’ hearts, children are more important than a thousand cups of coffee. Even though this was a simple idea, it had the power to move her and her dedication was paid back. We found a high school to attend that day. My mom did not break her promise. In addition, the day I went to school, I vowed to work hard for giving my mother a cup of coffee.
Since then, my mother’s spiritual inspiration has empowered me to overcome the difficulties in my journey here in America. She always put me first, even before her own health. Thus, I have strived hard to make great progress, not only for the purpose of earning a better life for my family, but to see my mother’s smile. Now that I am a college student, she feels so proud of me. I can tell she is happy.