Essay #1

October 17, 2004

Father

There is one person who really affects you. For me the person has to be my father. He is an everyman. He can be my friend, but he is more important than any friends that I made. He gave me life, and he has been influential in my life.

My father was a hero for me when I was a little girl. I lived with my parents and grandmother. I was the only child in the family just as other Chinese family. We had enough money for the basic expenses, but it could not afford other expenses, such as buy me a computer, pay for high tuition of my school, or own an apartment. I was born in this kind normal Chinese family, but I was so happy to live in this family because of my father. My father was working in a factory. He would do the most of the house work after work, and he liked to tell me stories. They could be history, his childhood, hero, or legend In addition; my father was a wonderful husband. He was not a romantic person. He never gave my mother any kind of flower, but he never fought with my mother either. Every decision of the family that he made, he would hear my mother’s opinion first. I felt that was a simple but long love. My father also was an obedient son. He would do his best to make my grandmother happy. For example, he would spend a lot of time to talk with my grandmother so that she would not feel alone, and he tried to give her a better life and happier later years. Therefore, although, my grandmother had five sons and three daughters, she wanted to live with us. I thought my father was the best father and husband in the world, and I even began to dream of finding a husband just like my father.

My father was a good example for me because he did everything for me and my family. My parents came to the USA and left me with my aunt in China when I was ten years old. We had not seen each other for ten years. I hated them because they should know it was not easy for a little girl had lived without parents for that long time. There would be no reason.

I knew I was wrong when I came here and saw my father, a sixty year old man full of gray hair who had to work more than ten hours each day. I was so sad. What was that for? I understood him more. He just wanted to give me a better life. Actually, he was a very conservative person and choosing to come to the USA and leave me alone was a pain to him. We did not have much money for me to get a higher education. We did not have enough money to own an apartment, and we could not to afford the expense of the medication. However, he knew to come to the USA would give us a better life. He always thought about me and the family, but most time he forgot himself. It affected me so much. My father let me know that as a member of the family I had to do my best for others, and not to be selfish and just think about myself.

My father’s special way of morality made me understand many real truths. I stood up for myself, and it was hard for me to admit that I was wrong even though I knew mother would beat me when she was angry. For example, I thought it was not a big problem to watch TV when I was having lunch or dinner, or did not wash my hands before eat something although I knew it was not good for my health. However, my mother would always say you have to do this, and you have to do that. I knew she was not wrong, she just did that a parent usually does. However, my father chose to talk to me most of time. He might tell me a story or share his experience with me, so that I could understand I was wrong and would not do it again. Most of the time, I thought my father really knew me, and the way that he used to teach me was very useful for me. Day by day, I changed my bad habit, and I began to understand my behavior completely.

In sum, my father may be nothing for other people, but he is the most important person for me and my family. He lets me understand how important is a sense of duty for a family, and how to face my problems and understand myself more. He has been influential in my whole life.