It’s never been about you! Keep it moving.

Grandpa and Grandma’s garden, full grown after 40+ years living in the US.

I really often think about how every day of my life is an opportunity to build on the foundations set before me.

my grandparents’ story was one of survival,

my parents’ story is one of stability,

our story is one where we’re afforded an opportunity to dream.

it feels selfish, sometimes, to dream. our struggle does not look or feel the same as the generations before us, yet it is exactly the position their years of love and sacrifice have allowed us to be in.

if we allowed ourselves to fully dive in the direction of our dreams, imagine what the next generation will grow up believing is possible.

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family ties are strong in the house I grew up in

every step taken before mine was in consideration of those who follow

my grandparents left the Philippines to give their kids a better life

my parents sacrificed their dreams to be a good son and daughter,

now a father and mother we could count on.

that’s a privilege I don’t take lightly,

an honor I’ve tried to carry with me in every area of my life.

consideration is love in its highest form,

and, boy, were we loved.

there’s this space now that I am in, running circles around what is practical and what is ideal.

practical because my wish is to take care of them in the ways they’ve taken care of me.

ideal because it would be a waste not to go after the life they put me in position to receive.

“we’ll support you in whatever you choose to do,

as long as you give it your 100%,”

a blessing I will not let be my curse.

so little-by-little,

we’re learning how to close the gap between idea and action.

it’s easier to do so when you realize it’s never been about you,

but about them,

and for those to come.