This week’s assignment was to
imagine that there was a major catastrophe which resulted in my immediate
family and I needing to evacuate to another country. In this scenario, I was allowed to take one
chance of clothes and 3 small items that I hold dear and that represent my
family culture.
The first item I would take with me
would be my photo albums containing pictures of my children, our extended
family, and friends. This would be
important to me because I would be able to look back on the pictures and
remember the people in the pictures and the places the pictures were
taken. I would also take my grandmother’s
Bible. She had this Bible as long as I
can remember. She spent several hours
every night in her bathroom reading from this Bible and praying to God. She also recorded births, weddings, and
deaths of our family members in it. When
she passed away 2 years ago, it was given to me by my aunt and uncle. Her Bible was a part of her and I would not
only want it to read and continue to grow in my walk with God but also because
it makes me feel like I still have a piece of her with me. The last thing I would take would be an
American flag because it is a symbol of who I am and the freedom I grew up
with. The American flag is like my
comfort blanket. Although I would have
to leave my country, I will still have a piece of my country with me.
If something happened and I was
only able to bring one of the three things I brought with me, I would have to
bring my grandmother’s Bible. As much as
I like the sentimental aspect of the pictures and the patriotic symbol of the
flag, I do not think I could do without my grandmother’s Bible. Her Bible is my heritage and I would do
everything I could to keep that and even pass it down to my children and my
children’s children.
As a result of this exercise, I
realized that my family culture is made up of a combination of a love of God
and others. While family and closeness
is important to my family, we also understand that God is the center of it all
and without Him, we are nothing. I am
thankful for my grandmother and the strong role she still has in my family even
though she is no longer here with us.
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| The most influential people in my life: my Nana and my Paw-Paw |
Melinda
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post. The photos are great reminder of our families and the way we lived before moving to another country. That is a sure way to remember our heritage.
Melinda,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post. It sounds like we have a great deal in common. I had not thought about bringing an American flag. That would also be important to me. Like you, family and relationships are essential. I always wished I had a family Bible with our history in it. I guess I could start with our generation. Faith is important to me as well. Somehow I would want to have a way to read the Bible so I chose my laptop to keep.
Melinda,
ReplyDeleteGreat Post! The photo album is a great essential to take along with you. The photos will help to talk about the past and the present. It will help you to remember where you are from and the way you live.
Hi Melinda,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post and thank you for sharing this personal experience with us. I like this assignment because it makes me reconsider what culture really is. To give up items we choose is very painful and hard decision to make. Thank you for your post.
Lufei
Thanks,
Lufei