Strong
My mother’s struggles and resolves
My grand parents’ wedding day 1970.
My mother grew up in Santiago City, Dominican Republic. Her father was CEO of a tobacco company and a clothing manufacturing company with twenty-five industrial sewing machines. Both companies distributed products to stores all across the Dominican Republic. He spent most of his time traveling. My grandmother kept my mother and uncle under strict and traditional parenting philosophy and made sure they attended the most prestigious private school in Santiago City.
My grand parents and my mother as a newborn 1976.
My mother always dreamed of having a big home with three children. However, her sheltered childhood did not favor her. On the contrary, it prevented her from learning certain ways of life that could have helped her make better mating choices. She fell in love with my father, who worked for my grandfather at the time. My grandparents did not approve. However, nothing could stop my father from seeking her and my mother wanted to live her dreams with him.
My mother married my father when she was only seventeen. My father’s shortcomings left her as a struggling single mother of three children. While our conditions began to take a toll on my mother’s well-being, she began to brainstorm migrating to the United States to make those dreams possible. She began to imagine a life where she could give her children everything they needed. A life considered foolproof. Planned so well that nothing could go wrong.
My mother 2002.
After making it to New York City, my mother worked herself to the bone so we had everything we needed. She spent two years eating once per day and saving every cent she could to create the stable life we eventually had. Her determination was impeccable and unwavering like a bull. Nothing and no one could stop her from accomplishing everything for her children.
My mother with her current husband 2023.
Through my mother, I learned that struggle serves as a transformative force in our primal instincts to climb out of a conflict, propelling us toward remarkable innovation to accomplish success. When we find ourselves confronted with obstacles, whether these are personal, professional, or societal, it is in those moments that the seeds of innovation are sown. It is within the crucible of difficulties that our resilience is tested, our imaginations sparked, and our capacity for innovation unleashed. Indeed, it is through straining against the weight of adversity that we kindle the fire of progress and forge new paths toward a brighter future.
On vacation in the Dominican Republic 2023
Through the sheer determination to overcome her challenges, to rise above the adversities that she faced, my mother was driven to explore new avenues, adopt fresh perspectives, and devise creative solutions. Struggle compelled her to stretch beyond her comfort zone, pushing the boundaries of what she once believed possible, and in doing so, unlocked the door to innovation and success.
