For this assignment, I interviewed my grandmother, Rosario who I am very close to and visit on a weekly basis. Because of COVID-19 restrictions (and in order to reduce my grandma from getting sick) we have been communicating via daily phone calls. During one of these phone calls, I asked my grandma what other difficult life events she had to endure and how she overcame them. In her response, she mentioned having to raise my uncle with cerebral palsy from a distance. In Rosario’s opinion, the role of a mother is to directly care for her child and be present during all important milestones. However, due to the fact that my uncle had needs that my family cannot provide, she had to turn to government care. It was difficult for my grandma to do this because she had to place the wellbeing of my uncle over her own desires.
In some manner, this idea is relevant to today’s pandemic- due to social distancing, we are forced to sacrifice our desires to go out to the beach, spend time with friends, travel, etc. because if we do not, we are increasing the risk of illness to ourselves and others in our communities. Sometimes the right decision requires sacrifice, and although it may be difficult to comprehend at the moment, realizing the importance of making the rational choice is worthwhile.
While listening to the presentations of my classmates, I learned that all of our elder partner’s had different stories, yet shared themes of being resilient and to persevere through difficult moments. Common sufferings revolved around turning to care to others and reflecting on moving forward. As written in our book, “Happiness is a Choice You Make” the author states, “A recognition that life doesn’t have to be all good to be good, and also that it will never be.”
In some manner, this idea is relevant to today’s pandemic- due to social distancing, we are forced to sacrifice our desires to go out to the beach, spend time with friends, travel, etc. because if we do not, we are increasing the risk of illness to ourselves and others in our communities. Sometimes the right decision requires sacrifice, and although it may be difficult to comprehend at the moment, realizing the importance of making the rational choice is worthwhile.
While listening to the presentations of my classmates, I learned that all of our elder partner’s had different stories, yet shared themes of being resilient and to persevere through difficult moments. Common sufferings revolved around turning to care to others and reflecting on moving forward. As written in our book, “Happiness is a Choice You Make” the author states, “A recognition that life doesn’t have to be all good to be good, and also that it will never be.”