My dad has had to go through some tough challenges that I have experienced too. For him though it’s harder because he works to keep his family alive. A challenge that occurred first recently was his fathers death. He was sick and disabled, he couldn’t walk and was in a care center for about a year. We visited him every Sunday if we could. Then one day I was sleeping when my dad woke me up and said, “Ya nos vamos, tu papa David ya se murio.” He left without telling me where, but I knew it had to do with his death. Without any hesitation, he told me in a calm manner. I said, “Okay.” He left my room and I continued on sleeping. I didn’t want react as someone else would, I let it be, and didn’t want it to be in my way. I was only 11 years old when his death happened and my siblings were younger too so they didn’t know how to do deal with these kinds of situations, so just like me they let it be. Another challenge we had to go through was when we had lost the house and we had to move out. We had lost the house to late payments and not paying at all. It was December already, I was in 7th grade and about to transfer schools again. I was going to Round Lake Middle School. This worried me when he had told me we were going to transfer in the middle of the school year. So we did move, but didn’t transfer schools at the end because I had reasoned with my parents that transferring would be uncomfortable during the school year and they agreed.

I always take to notice is the way my dad explains concepts to my brothers and I that we’re not so familiar with. I have two younger brother who 14 and 13 years old, and we all play soccer. We love watching games together. We all get comfortable on the couches, bring food to eat while watching, or just get a blanket to be warm. Also when a player does an amazing play to another player, my brothers and I always say “ole!” Meaning he had an amazing goal or trick. My dad then says, “¿Si ven?” Then he starts explaining to us how to do it and what it could cause if we try it on the field. He sometimes gets up, and has us trying it in the living room, almost like a coach. One move he told me about one time was, pulling the ball back with one foot and pushing it forward so in one step I could reach it to shoot. It makes me laugh that he uses random objects as a ball and he’s having us kicking it around. One time he was using a shoe which had us laughing all the time. This represents how much he wants us to use his advice and making it work.

Since my dads job doesn’t require any application or having to apply process, I go during the summer with him to work. My uncle owns the company and he works alongside with family and good friends. He works on Fence Installations at Stars Fence Inc. It’s hard work all day, but for me its worth it at the end when its payday. My dad would wake me up every morning at 6 a.m. to get ready to leave. Once we’re both ready, we wait for my other uncle to pick us up, and off we go. The third day of work I was with my dad with another worker also called Jose, but we all call him “Chispas” so we don’t confuse each other. So that day we were in Chicago working on a fence about 200 feet long. We needed to finish with the job that day because it had already been the second day with the same fence. The house was small, it had an alley, and a beat up garage. The fence went along the right side from the corner of the house all the way back to where the fence would eventually be perpendicular with the garage. It was all muddy because there was no grass and plus all the dirt dug up from the post holes so it was messy all along the way of the fence. So my dad came to me and said, “Que hijo, ¿quieres saber como pegar tablas?” I said, “Pos si, para acabar mas rapido.” He took the nail gun and nailed a few telling me what to do each time, just by me seeing how he did it, it was easy enough to do it repeatedly. After him teaching me I started nailing and finished nailing about 150 feet. My hand was so tired I was like “Oh my god its tiring.” In the end we finished around 4 which was a good time to be done.  We didn’t finish at 4 on most days, occasionally we’d be done by 6. All we needed to do is clean up all the scraps of wood and tools which is fast and easy.

Over the summer I work as much as I possibly can because I love how much money I earn just by working on a job I find easy now. This past summer I earned about $5,000 in total, but I still don’t have control over is spending. When I go shopping every 2 weeks or so, I’m always wasting around $400, most of it on clothes, and other cravings. My dad has always told me, “No te gastes mucho” because I wouldn’t have enough for another 2 weeks. Every 2 weeks we get paid. Even though I love spending my money, the best feeling is spending it on the family. Sometimes when we go out, to say to our soccer games, practices, or go with family, I say I’ll buy so my mom won’t have to waste hers, no matter how much the food or necessities cost, I always have had enough to satisfy each one of their taste buds. My dad has changed the way I waste my money or what not, but he’s always, always telling me the right reason why.

Although he may be different from all of family and he chooses to, I’ve noticed how much reason he shows why to be like that. He’s logical in all decisions he  takes. How he’s changed my perspective, and to decide whether its worth it or not. That way I know he loves us, and will do what it takes to keep us protected and provided for us at all times. I hope on following his steps to become the person he is today.