Lessons

inspiration from my parents

It's not hard to decide what you want your life to be about. What's hard is figuring out what you're willing to give up in order to do the things you really care about. My mom has been  a huge inspiration to me because my dad  lives in Los Angeles and I only see him every other weekend. It is my mom who has been responsible for raising my two younger sisters and me by herself.  She works hard and has a lot to do everyday, but she is always organized so I can go to games and make my sports possible. My mom has always encouraged me to pursue things that I am passionate about even if she can’t relate well to them or is not personally interested in what I love. Basketball and football are my favorite sports. Even though it is sometimes late at night, my mom picks me up after every practice. Because she modeled for me giving up her own time to help me, I have learned to be willing to sacrifice my time and what I want to do to help her.  I  always want to help her before she even asks for me to do something - even the little things will make her happy.  My sisters need a lot of care especially my three year old sister. For example, when she cries, whether loudly or softly, my mom will go up to her and ask what's wrong, with care and patience.. There is always something that needs to be done.  I have learned to put the needs of my mom and sisters ahead of mine. That is not always easy to do, but I see how important that is if my family is going to work well. My mom  has supported my passion to play basketball by paying for a gym membership so I can practice. I know this is expensive and not easy for her, but she really wants me to succeed in something that I love, so I want to do well for her as much as for me. She also supports  my attending a new private school that is giving me an opportunity to improve both my athletic and  my academic abilities.  Through this new experience I have learned to make choices that are for my future and the future of my family and not just the present.  When I am with friends now I  know that I often need to make the hard choices to complete my school assignments  and focus on practice rather than playing  on our phones, being lazy, or just messing around. I have a responsibility to my mom and sisters to make decisions that will help our lives be better. This is not always easy and sometimes I make the wrong choice, but I know what I have to do so I really try to make smart choices for our future.Lessons

inspiration from my parents

It's not hard to decide what you want your life to be about. What's hard is figuring out what you're willing to give up in order to do the things you really care about. My mom has been  a huge inspiration to me because my dad  lives in Los Angeles and I only see him every other weekend. It is my mom who has been responsible for raising my two younger sisters and me by herself.  She works hard and has a lot to do everyday, but she is always organized so I can go to games and make my sports possible. My mom has always encouraged me to pursue things that I am passionate about even if she can’t relate well to them or is not personally interested in what I love. Basketball and football are my favorite sports. Even though it is sometimes late at night, my mom picks me up after every practice. Because she modeled for me giving up her own time to help me, I have learned to be willing to sacrifice my time and what I want to do to help her.  I  always want to help her before she even asks for me to do something - even the little things will make her happy.  My sisters need a lot of care especially my three year old sister. For example, when she cries, whether loudly or softly, my mom will go up to her and ask what's wrong, with care and patience.. There is always something that needs to be done.  I have learned to put the needs of my mom and sisters ahead of mine. That is not always easy to do, but I see how important that is if my family is going to work well. My mom  has supported my passion to play basketball by paying for a gym membership so I can practice. I know this is expensive and not easy for her, but she really wants me to succeed in something that I love, so I want to do well for her as much as for me. She also supports  my attending a new private school that is giving me an opportunity to improve both my athletic and  my academic abilities.  Through this new experience I have learned to make choices that are for my future and the future of my family and not just the present.  When I am with friends now I  know that I often need to make the hard choices to complete my school assignments  and focus on practice rather than playing  on our phones, being lazy, or just messing around. I have a responsibility to my mom and sisters to make decisions that will help our lives be better. This is not always easy and sometimes I make the wrong choice, but I know what I have to do so I really try to make smart choices for our future.