My Family Culture
It was difficult to decide what three items I wanted to take with me as I have accumulated so many trinkets and personal possessions in my age that hold great value to me. After I thought about this assignment for a couple of days, my top three choices became clear. I would take with me the following items:
*Pictures of my family; my children, parents, siblings
*My first rosary that I received at my First Communion
*Chicken Soup for the Soul book by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen
These three items are very special to me as they represent my identity, my culture, my life, and my inspirations. Provided my host country can speak my language well enough to understand my descriptions, I would inform them about the importance of my three items and the significance that they hold in my life.
My family pictures give me the memories and remind me of the happy and sad times throughout my life experience. The rosary that I received as a gift from my parents during my First Communion represents my faith and its calming effect helps to soothe my anxiety during stressful times. My copy of the Chicken Soup for the Soul book has many inspiring stories and sometimes makes the difficult choices I face in my life more manageable by granting me greater clarity and focus.
If I were forced to make the choice to keep only one of my items and abandon the other two, I would undoubtedly experience deep sadness and heartache. Despite the grief and pain associated with having to relocate from my familiar environment and way of life to somewhere completely different against my will, I would have to keep my family pictures. That way, I would be able to share my past experiences with others in a visual way, and still have a physical representation of better times in my life.
This assignment has really made me question my values and evaluate what is important to me. I know that my family will always be a priority in my life and am proud to share that fact with others. With my pictures, I would have an easier time communicating my experiences with another culture that may or may not speak my native language. In this way, I can both embrace my culture and celebrate diversity at the same time.
