I Will Succeed

My grandma has been down with arthritis lately. Some weeks, we don't get to even see her because she's in pain and she doesn't join us for Sunday lunch. She stays with us sometimes and goes back to my Aunt's place on the weekends.

I worry for her because she's pretty old now. Not long ago she used to drive us to the old Marina Square and take us for steamboat and arcade games at Magic Land. Other weeks, she'll take us for the Pizza Hut buffet at Jelita. Just today we went to Cedele for lunch, and I'll bet she's the only Grandma who eats their burgers.

Seeing her in pain is a painful thing to bear. There are times I wish I could take it away. But there is only so much we can help with. When I grow up, I will earn as much as I can so that I can afford the best healthcare for my family. It's our responsibility to look after our loved ones.

Sometimes she nags. I'll sit and listen while eating dinner. But although I don't like it, I know why she does. She cares. And she wants to talk to someone. My grandfather passed away a long time ago when she was younger, so she has always had to face many personal challenges alone. More often than not, we are busy, and so are her children, so there really isn't very many people she can hang out with.

Her life hasn't been easy, and watching her grow old, I hope we have done our best to make her comfortable and happy. I wish I were working, and be able to afford a better doctor for her. I remember when I was younger, she told me in Cantonese, "You need to study hard, and if you do, one day you'll be able to live in a big house." What she doesn't know is that I don't need a big house. I just want to see my loved ones taken care of and happy. I guess it's a personal promise to her and myself to be successful. This is my one personal goal. I will succeed.