The things that he has done for us is extraordinary , imagine walking along a hot dessert for 2 weeks straight, your running out of water and all you can do is just keep walking along that scorching sun. Rattle snakes all over the place just waiting to bite you, crazy right? Risking it all for just a couple hundred dollars to feed and clothe his wife and kids back home, it’s crazy what this man went through. I am proud to call this man dad for all that he has done for us.

My dad has lived a tough life; he has worked endless nights and days just to make a couple bucks. One of my dad’s first jobs that he had was working in the grape vineyards around California; he told me it’s a very difficult job. At the end of the day he would always have band aids on his hands and arms from all the cuts and scratches. From there on his second trip to the United States he came up all the way to Washington and started to work in other jobs that weren’t so bad, he worked in a dairy farm and has ever since. Still it was long hours of work and difficult days. A couple years later my dad and mom got there U.S. citizenship, and a little bit later my brother was born in California and five years later I was born in Washington.

To be honest until a couple years ago I have never really thought about the sacrifices my dad has done for us, when I was about ten years old I remember whining for a toy I really wanted. I remember exactly what my dad told in that Wal-Mart he said “son I’m sorry I can’t always buy you what you want, like I love you and everything but it’s difficult times are tough. But at least be thankful for what you have in your life, a mom loving mom and dad a roof to live under and something to eat every night. Other kids around the world would love to be in your spot”. He went on but this is the most important part that he wanted me to hear, I accepted the fact that I wasn’t going to get my Power Rangers toy that day and that it would probably have to wait.

My dad’s experiences have taught me a lot about life, being a hard worker is a very necessary thing in life. Even for us teens that are still in high school and aren’t working yet still need to work hard in school to become someone in society, my dad has always told me to graduate from high school and get a better job than him to not be killing you out there in the fields like him. And to this day I have promised him that I will do it, not only to fulfill his promise but to have a better life for me and my future family.