by Richard Angulo
As a kid, I used to look back on my life and realize I wasn’t dealt the best hand. Danny had a mom and dad that absolutely loved and adored him. His parents were involved in his life, heck, Danny’s mom was a regular on our middle school campus volunteering her time.
Sylvia, on the other hand, came from a family that embraced high education. Sylvia’s father went to work every day in a suit and tie. He was the president of his own company while Sylvia’s mom was a high school teacher. While visiting their home, conversations were always about topics I never discussed in my home.
Eric is my rich friend. He never had to worry about waiting in line to receive his free school lunch. Eric was given a brand-new truck on his 16th birthday and his entire college tuition was sitting in a savings account by the time he became a teenager.
I can easily go on and on about my life, or the lives that I used to focus on. As they say, the grass is always greener on the other side. My abuela’s(grandma’s) response, ever since I was old enough to understand, was “Mijo, it’s time you water your own lawn.”
When I was finally old enough to understand this golden nugget, I no longer saw my glass half-empty. I began to focus on what I had. Two hard working parents that managed to pay all the bills on a monthly basis, put clothes on my back, a roof over my head, and food in my stomach.
I had parents that never graduated high school but always found time to teach me how to love and respect myself and others. These are priceless life lessons that are forever cemented in my soul.
I used to believe that the hand I was dealt was not fair, almost as if someone stacked the deck against me. But once my own grandmother, who migrated to America from Mexico at the age of eight, was able to help open my eyes, I realized that overcoming adversity was something my ancestors paved the way long before my life.
Today, I continue to reach out and help others as a tutor, a mentor, and a friend. When confronted with adversity in life’s daily struggles, I rely on my positive attitude along with my faith to help get me through difficult time. I keep life in perspective and I am grateful my attitude has a new focus.