A Story of Culture

Moving is no easy feat and moving to another country is a tremendous feat. 

My parents moved from the Philippines with me when I was less than a year old. I can only imagine how daunting that was for them. Leading up to the move, my parents had laid the groundwork for a supportive network to help us through the transition. We were fortunate to have friends and family across the country that welcomed us and helped us find our footing as we built a new life.

We lived with relatives in different states until we settled in Michigan. Once settled, my parents sought out a community to remind them of home. They made many friends, and our house was often filled with the sounds of their language and smells of their favorite foods. I was convinced they were all relatives, and I had the biggest family ever. Over the years, my parents continued to build and grow that community, sharing and teaching their culture with others.

They had festivals and holiday events with neighboring communities exhibiting and showcasing traditional clothing, dances and food. On many Friday nights there would be many families at our home where my parents taught the younger children traditional dances and where the families could share a meal and visit. They often host visitors passing through or just settling in the area. 

Even though they are not as active in the community anymore, it still supports them in many ways and those friendships they nurtured are still strong.

They built relationships and a tremendous amount of trust through those friendships in that community and have relied on them for many things. Many of them share referrals for everything from the best markets to schools to physicians. I’ve seen that community celebrate together and rally for each other in various ways.

So, when I was diagnosed with breast cancer that community was their support system.  That support extended to me and my own family through encouraging messages, thoughts and prayers.  I am grateful for my heritage and the amazing community of culture and tradition that I grew up with and that still supports my family today.   

Today, thankfully, I am healthy and have been a part of many different communities while raising my children. Being part of those communities over the years, my family has made wonderful friendships and received tremendous support like the community I grew up in. One thing that I truly enjoyed during those years was volunteering and supporting different organizations.

So, when it was time for me to return to work, I purposely looked for an organization that was meaningful to me and offered support to others. I was fortunate enough to find Pink Fund.