It would be impossible to just write about the assets that were acquired over the years and the success Emilio and Carmen seemed to enjoy, and not write about how they shared their abundance via #selfless acts of kindness. Emilio was very #generous with his time and treasure, often giving money to people so they could get ahead or make ends meet. He was an extremely #generous and giving person, yet humble and modest about his helping others, never seeking attention or praise. Just as Emilio was generous with his time and money, Carmen was just as #generous and giving with her time and willingness to help many, many people over the years. Whether it was rounding up #donations to help someone that fell on hard times, cooking huge meals to feed whole #families, seeking resources and assistance for those that needed it, Carmen was rather tireless when it came to helping people get a leg up and get ahead.
Carmen became somewhat legendary in her circle of #friends and #family as a “get the job done” type of person that would move heaven and earth to help the people around her. She especially was involved with newly arrived families in the United States. It is as if the feeling of empathy toward those that are newly arrived in the US never abandoned her. She could relate to that feeling of helplessness that young #mothers and #fathers felt when they arrived in this new country. Carmen was very astute in getting people job interviews and #employment. She would spend time helping people prepare for interviews and would drive them there, help them fill out the application, take people and wait with them at the Department of Motor Vehicles as they got their driver’s license or identification, take them to doctor appointments, to social security offices or wherever they needed to go. This happened for years and for decades. The number of #families that Carmen helped are just too many to count and from all walks of life.
The story of human #migration is as old as mankind. America’s #history is a #history built from wave upon wave of #immigrants, willing and unwilling. The contributions of this vast and diverse group of peoples of every #race, every #culture, every #religion has made #America unique among the many countries on this planet.
The American Dream means many different things to many people. But for Emilio and Carmen, it meant leaving the world they once knew behind, giving up their #friends, their #families, their physical possessions, escaping a country they once loved and then starting all over again in a new land with nothing, unable to speak #English, and only a hope and a #prayer that life could be better. All that they had were each other, the drive to survive and build a better life for their #children. They were, and are, good #citizens, hardworking, productive people who adopted their new homeland, gave back more than what they took and were proud to now be called #Americans. They are the #American Dream in action and their role in the lives of people they touched will be felt for #generations to come. Thank #God the red, white, and blue was open and welcoming for them. Because of that, I can proudly pen this story for them today and honor their #legacy, my #legacy.
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Next week. Human Migration - An Essential Part of Humanity
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Great story Hiran. I found it inspirational. Thank you for sharing it with us.