…althought i recently had a tough family break-up, i wouldn’t mind talking about my entire family. As you know Sonia, my family is a highly traditonal Latin American family. We believe in the most common and harsh rules some natives do, but my family has broken that tradition i love. I have a sister, she is 20 and goes to the local community college here in San Mateo. My dad, not really a part of my life anymore, is mechanic at a bowling ally near San Francisco. Enough of the people who aren’t in my life anymore, let’s talk about my mom.

My mom, wow what can i say about such an amazing woman? My mother is corageous, although short, smart, brave, sincere, and caring — everything that makes a mother a mother. Our recent family break-up was caused by my alcholic father. My father has always had a passion–if i should even be calling it that– for alcohol. He was, and still is, obsessed witht he toxic substance. He always used to beat my mother to the point where i had to call the police on him 4 times, at the age of 9. Becuase my father believed my mother had called the cops and placed him in jail for a month, he began to loose the “love” he had for her. Guilty for my mother paying the price, i was almost prepared to tell me father the truth. My mother, however, told me not to for she would not be able to bare my fathers hatred towrds me, so we left it at that. As my fathers “love” for my mother became slim, the house became more and more uncomfortable as the days went. My parents would’t speak for days, and i would always be the messanger between the two. Somehow, i managed to have my best year academically in high school during those times. Finally, after the final beating for my mother, i told my dad we would leave him. I knew he would laugh, he thought we would never do it, but we did.

Now i live with my mother in a small but peaceful studio apartment that we love. Although privacy is jeaprodized, peace is definitly gained. It feels so weird knowing i dont have to worry when i come back from school of an intoxicated father and the sleepless nights. My mother has always been the backbone to my success and future aspirations, my mothe fully supports my intentions for college and can’t wate to see me graduate. My mothers dream, when we came to this country, was see her son graduate and see him step foot in a top university, she will. I can’t desribe the immesne love i have for my mother, most people would say “mommys boy,” but i say, “son who respects his mother for all the hard work she has done for him so he could have a better future.” My mom is awesome, i love her to death.

my mommy and me!