June 18th...

It was 3 years ago on June 18th, that I officially became a US Citizen! I have been thinking a lot lately about genealogy, specifically my ancestors, and I wonder what kind of stories our future generations will tell of us, The Randy Taylor Family...

I was on the phone today with my Mom, and we got on the topic of Genealogy, and we talked about my Grandpa (her dad), Papa Arturo. I thought as she told me about his life right now, how blessed I am to live in this country, and how I wish my Grandpa and his family did too :( He is now 76 years old, and has to leave for work at 4:30 every morning. He works as a security guard (he has been a police officer, and also a taxi driver), they pay him $8 dollars per day! Not per hour, per DAY! He lives in El Salvador, and is lucky to at least have a job! To put his wages into perspective, he has an old beat up car that he occasionally drives, but if he drove it to work, it would cost him $6 per day in gas! So he takes the bus, then another bus, so he can provide for his family.

My Grandparents on my mother's side have been divorced for quite some time now. My Grandma, Mama Priscila lives in Canada with my parents now. But when she still lived in El Salvador I remember talking to her, and hearing how she would wash the missionaries’ clothes, and then go to take care of a lady, to get a little bit of money. She would save up for months so she could go to the temple in Guatemala once a year! To me, my grandparents are my heroes! They have lived lives full of opposition, poverty, and trials. Yet, my fondest memories of my childhood are Thanks to them! They would take us to the beach, they would play with us, they would let us have sleep overs with them, they would totally spoil us with Candy and everything else kids love!

I'm eternally grateful for those memories, and the time they took to make us feel special, and loved. I'm also eternally grateful to my own parents, who decided to move our family (6 kids and all) from El Salvador, to Canada. And to my dad's family, who made it all possible, and helped us so much when we got there.  My siblings and I grew up in a world completely different from our parents, and we had the opportunity to progress, not only financially, but spiritually, and to get an education. Being the oldest in my family, I'm not sure if I would have been able to even finish high school if we had stayed in El Salvador...There's a possibility I would have been forced to work (due to circumstances), to help the family. I'm grateful to have been able to learn to Speak, write and read English. I'm grateful I'm still able to speak, write, and read Spanish, and to live in this Country, where I'm free to speak either or both languages if I choose! I hope I'm able to teach my children of their ancestors, and the great sacrifices that were made, so that I could be where I am today!