Time Is Limited Make The Best of It--Aylin

 Have you ever wondered how much your parents have sacrificed to give you the life that you have today? As we are coming to the end of our senior year, I have a deeper appreciation for what my parents have been able to provide me with. The lifestyle that I now have compared to when I was little. Being the first generation to actually graduate from high school and getting accepted into the college that I so desperately wanted to get accepted into. This gives me even more motivation to make my parents even prouder than what they are now. Many kids don't realize this but after high school you are going to have to step into the real world and actually start making decisions that will affect the rest of your life. . . . . (FLASHBACK) . . . . . Ever since I was little I would remember my mom and dad always working hard to give me and my sister what we needed. My parents have always been there to provide me with anything that I desired, even when they didn't have the money to be spending on some of the things that we would ask for, they would try their best to get us something that they could afford. I would remember seeing my mom only three hours a day from the time she got home to the time it was bed time. I would remember seeing my father only on the weekends because of the night shift that he would work, meaning he would be asleep during the day and at work when I was supposed to be in bed. My grandma has always been a second mom to me, always there for me when my parents couldn't be. She cared for me at the earliest age of 6 months until I was ten years old. I remember my grandma making sure that I was always dressed and ready for school on time, walking us to school in the early mornings, and picking us up in the afternoons. It saddens me that I don't have the memories of my mom going to drop me off and pick me up because of the job she had. I know now that it was because she wanted a better life for me and my sister and in order to do that she had to work all the time. There are many memories that I will forever treasure of my grandmother taking care of me. She stepped in when she knew my mom had to go to work. My mom and dad have always been there for me when I needed them most and for that I will always be grateful. Fast forward to today and my parents have grown tremendously from where they were eleven years ago. We have a beautiful home. And my siblings and I see them way more often. My dad no longer has to work the night shift because of his promotion to manager. Although my mom still works at the same job, she makes the best of it because they know that she needs to work so that she could give us a better life than what she had when she was younger. They worked so hard to get to where they are today. They make sure that we go on vacations periodically so that we can all come together and have time as a family. My mom always tells us "you guys never appreciate how much me and your dad work so that you can have all the expensive things that we give you." That is the reason why I cannot wait to be able to have a career of my own and not only be able to provide for myself but also provide for my parents. Although this will not amount to how much they have sacrificed for us, I know that they will appreciate it. My life will forever be in debt to my parents for the amount of endless love that they have provided for me since the day I was born. Their appreciation goes unnoticed because of the lack of knowledge that many teenagers including myself have for our parents. We don't realize how much are parents sacrifice for us on a daily basis. The moral of the story is to go tell your parents how much you appreciate and love them because you never know when either their last day on earth will be. Don't take the time you have with them for granted.