A letter from Jan 02, 2025

Dear Mai, You did it, let your friends and family know and take them out to dinner. Every year has been better than the last. The promises you made to your dad and yourself have been accomplished. You helped your mom become a citizen. All those nights struggling to translate and explain the neutralization process and materials paid off. Along the way, she shared some stories and lessons that will stick with you for ever. The objective wasn’t just to make Mami a citizen, it was to prove how much she was capable of in spite of her own beliefs. Applying that same goal to Alex, you can see how he gained confidence by working with the tutor you provided him. Though it was a challenging start, you encouraged him to see it through. Papi would be proud of you for holding them together and pushing them to strive for their goals. You don’t like talking about your success because it tends to be something self-absorbed people with an inflated sense of self tend to do. Take a moment though, see how you managed to obtain the material things you wanted. Your apartment feels warm and comforting. Miklo has a vet that makes him feel safe. You and your girlfriend have a good life together. Your car rides smooth, and more importantly, you don’t have to worry about the maintenance. Blond is the background music to your life, everything is beautiful. Career wise, you’ve made a mark by reaching 100 lives by the end of the first year. The money isn’t the most rewarding thing though. All of the families who you worked with will be taken care of through one of the hardest times in their lives. Those same families can send their kids to school now and retire comfortably. You’ve made the difference you wanted to see in your community. You were given every reason to fail and transmuted it to success. That feeling of fear and resistance was met with persistence and resilience. “You gotta know yourself on the coldest nights, can’t turn it down you gotta own the fight, win lose or draw… Before you get this, you have to lose it all, then you find yourself and see you were a god” - Nipsey on Be Here for a While