Grandparent

I will be describing the first time I visited my parents’ family in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for five weeks without the company of my parents during the summer of 2015. It was also the first time I rode on an airplane, which was why I felt a bit nervous about the whole journey. During my time in Malaysia, I’ve learned many things and experienced life in an unfamiliar environment. However, my aunt, my sister, and my cousins were there with me and helped me enjoy my time of stay without feeling…

Personal Memoir When I was eleven years old my mother decided it was time to learn about where we truly came from. In December of 2011 my family prepared for a crazy trip. For the first time since the 1980s, my mother and now our family, was going to Honduras. My mother, along with her entire family, was born in Honduras and moved to the United States when she was a teen. Living in the U.S for so long didn’t change my mother much, she continued to be adamant on traditions of her country;…

For as long as I can remember a tradition in the Janowitz household was making Christmas cookies. My mom and I made cookies as basic as sugar cookies to double chocolate chip peanut butter. The house would smell like chocolate for days and it would take weeks to remove all of the sugar from the counter and floors. However, it was all worth it. The childhood fantasies within me were content and I even became creative with the cookies. Sadly the fantasies and excitement eventually faded and the…

For most part of my life I lived in Laredo, Texas. I was raised in a lower middle class neighborhood where everyone would make barbecues and get drunk on the weekends. As a child, I enjoyed being at barbecues because I saw it as a way in which my family could be united without it having to be a holiday or a birthday, however, seeing some of my uncles vomiting and acting aggressive with other relatives was something that highly discouraged me from drinking any alcohol. Not drinking alcohol has…

On October 4, 1951, Henrietta Lacks died, but her cells, HeLa, continue to live today. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (2010), discusses Mrs. Lacks life, her cells after she died and how her cells are still living. Success has been reached by advancing medical research of multiple vaccinations, such as a polio vaccine (Skloot, 2010), but Henrietta and her family have been disrespected by not being reimbursed for Henrietta’s contribution to medical research. Henrietta’s…

Traveling is unexpected, you don’t know what to do if or when something pops up during your vacations. When I was twelve years old, we had gone to Turkey to see our cousins like we do every year. I found out, in middle of sixth grade that we were also going to Prague when we went on our trip to Turkey. I knew I would spend my birthday there, but now, we were going to be in Prague instead! I could feel the butterflies in my stomach because of how excited I was. Something never expected happened…

* ** * * Hi there, my dearest cherished Housewife "Sweetheart Asya". * * .. To point out to you, my dearest Housewife "Sweetheart Asya", I wakened awhile ago from staying up late into the nighttime hours attentively listening & comprehensively watching the late-breaking updated news narrative discussion on the "North American Free Trade Agreement" and furthermore, later the announcement of the bankruptcy of Sears Canada the iconic North America historic retailer. * .. Thus, to start off…

Euthanasia is the purposeful taking of life to relieve suffering (Rathus, 2015). There are two main views on euthanasia, mercy killing or murder. The thought that someone would view this as murder is absurd to me. If someone you love is suffering from a terminal illness and doesn’t want to suffer anymore, why wouldn’t you want them to be at peace? There are only 5 states in the U.S. that allow euthanasia, but what most people don’t know is that you must meet certain criteria to receive the aid.…

Antonio's daughter: "I don't know what I am going to do. My dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. How will he be able to care for himself on his own? What if something bad happens to him? " Case Manager: "I understand that you feel scared, do I understand you correctly?" Antonio: "I am fine. I can live by myself. I don’t need extra help." Case Manager: “Mr. Antonio, I understand that you do not feel like you need help” Antonio's daughter: “Dad, you cannot live by yourself. You will…

The memories of my grandma will always be with me. She opened my eyes to just how paradoxical life actually is and taught me during our brief time together that a human being must be able to settle with their past, and live in the present, whilst preparing for the future. In her case it was death. I was six years old when I last saw her; two weeks before my birthday. I hadn’t known that it was the last time. I remember the time when my grandma was alert and active and how she played so many…