Influences in My Life

I would have to say that the biggest influences in my life would have to be my mother and father for various reasons. Both my parents immigrated to America from Poland when they were only 18yrs old, with only about $5.00 in American money in their pockets. Neither of them spoke any English, and neither of them knew anyone in the United States. What they did have was a dream. My parents immigrated to America to escape the communist rule, and to give their children a life they could never afford. They slowly learned how to speak English by watching television and imitating people they saw talking in the streets. both of them worked night and day doing any odd job someone would give them. My mother says that even when she was pregnant with me she worked as a seamstress up to the point her water broke, and she had to go back to work the very next day after giving birth to me. Even though we were poor, and did not have the leisure of owning a home (only a crowded apartment we shared with two other families), a television, washing machine,etc... we still found ways to enjoy life and have fun. My parents never once complained about having to work hard or living in the conditions we had. One day though my father came home tired as heck. I was about 13yrs old at the time, and i will never forget the look he gave me. it was a look of sadness and disappoint. That is when my father decided that he was going to take the chance of starting his own business. neither him nor my mother were there when i was growing up. they were always working to give me and my siblings a comfortable life, but this took a tole on them. They never saw us growing up, and we never saw them growing old. My father started his own construction business, and by the time i was 14yrs the business was booming and we had enough money to not only buy a house, but also a television and even a computer. my parents taught me that nothing in life is impossible, and that everything in life is attainable if you are willing to work hard enough, and want it bad enough. My parents were terrified when they immigrated to America. They were young and alone, but they both had the same goal in mind. I hope that someday I am able to go as far as my parents did. I am proud of who I am, and I never feel ashamed of where my roots sprouted. i owe everything to my parents, and i hope someday I can show them just how proud I am not only to be their daughter, but to be a Polish-American.