It was a hot, sunny day and while other children played hide-and-seek, she worked in the rice field with her mother. She was twelve years old. When high School was about to start, there was no craze about the latest iPad or laptop. All she wanted was a new pair of sandals, but her mother couldn’t afford to buy them. She lived a hard life where showering meant going uphill to fill two buckets of water. Dinner meant catching frogs and frying grasshoppers; and for dessert, she had a simple banana or mango. Through sheer determination, my mother was able to pull herself out of poverty. It’s something I can look back on and tell myself that anything is possible. I remember asking her what her dream job was and she told me that she just wanted to work in a hospital. She graduated college and worked abroad. In fact, she became an X-ray technician in Saudi! She taught me that dreams can come true but only when you take the initiative to step forward. She is one of the strongest women I know. She is my motivation.
Kriselle Bulaoro is currently studying at San Jose State University for her undergraduate degree in Communication Studies. In her spare time, she likes to dabble in photography. Some of her most memorable courses include Art, Journalism, and Environmental Studies. She thinks of writing as a form of art, and reading as the guiding hand. Written works can move people to tears, laugh on certain pages, and be humbled to new thoughts. When people are inspired to read, a whole new world opens up and infinite possibilities are dreamed of. As the saying goes, “the pen is mightier than the sword.”
The Bolt Magazine 