Ripples

I was looking through some old pictures and found this simple photo of ripples in the water. I remember taking it actually. One nice sunny summer day, I went for a walk along the lake shore, and saw this pole half out of the water leaning on the path’s edge. The waves of the water and patterns in the sand were so beautiful. It made me think of life in general, as it too is filled with patterns. I remember thinking, maybe even when things don’t make sense, and everything seems so chaotic, perhaps there is always a greater order to things even if we can’t see it as easily as I saw the water and the sand below on that day.

I came to the US when I was a young girl with my family and we moved frequently. As almost constantly the new kid in school, fitting in was often challenging. I was taunted for being different, and sometimes looked down on for being of eastern descent back in the days when much of the far east was considered third world. On occasion, I was derisively called "Gandhi," although I have often wondered why the kids at school considered that an insult, as he was such an amazing human being.

America is a country of immigrants, who dared to leave everything they knew behind to forge a better life. Nothing comes easy here, but it is a land of opportunity. Just as generations of immigrants before me, who brought with them not only their hopes and dreams, but also their culture and values, I found myself looking for a balance between two worlds as different as night and day. I realized what makes me American is not conformity, or even external validation, though that’s always nice to have. Being American is about knowing who I am, ..both as an American, and an heir to my native culture. It’s about respect, to myself, and those around me, as well as the strength of my beliefs, forged over a lifetime of learning and experience.

Though parts of the east are still underdeveloped, most Asian countries have emerged as world players in recent decades. I look forward to the day when everyone in the world can be free to be themselves, and that living a life filled with dignity is an expectation and the norm everywhere, such that the ripples that blossom around each of us are as peaceful as the quiet waves on a still, clear lake.