Beliefs

 

Beliefs

Since I set foot on foreign land, I discovered unknown strengths and embraced personal growth. I have learned something different that has caught my attention. It is about respecting differences regardless of people’s beliefs, cultures, and traditions especially the way people look and think about taking care of their parents. However, I always remind myself that there is nothing permanent in this world. People move, relocate, and keep moving, and sometimes, people’s faith changes due to the circumstances as they adapt to the new environment. This year, since I have been living in Chicago, I have come across many aspects of American culture that I didn’t see in the Philippines.

Living in United States is one of the biggest challenges that I ever experienced, and I am excited because this is supposed to be the land of opportunity where people can be whoever they want. I admire the American culture where people are very independent. Many Americans always stand for themselves, which is quite opposite to my Philippines culture. In the family of my American husband, they teach their kids at aged 18 to live on their own, work while studying and pay their own bills. They teach their kids to be independent. When the children were young, my husband’s family introduced them to their beliefs. Every Sunday, they went to church and listened to services. I can tell that they have a good connection to their faith. They like to talk about what is going on in the church. I like to listen to ideas related to their religion and learn more about their practices, like how they pray. Because I am a Muslim my Beliefs and tradition are very different like we are praying 5x a day.  I respect different religions, different cultures and traditions. In fact, every Sunday my husband family they have this family gathering, where they eat together, and share conversations with each other. I have embraced them with all my heart. In particular, American culture people have a greater sense of independence whether it be related to religion or aging and caring for parents.

However, one thing that I have had a hard time to understand and has brought me some confusion is how some Americans care for their elder parents when they get old. Some children put them in a nursing home. I don’t understand this because I never saw this back home. When some of their parents raised their children with love and affection. In the Philippines, the children usually take care of their parents, because children want to repay them for what they have done to them.  They love their parents, and they don’t want other people to look after them. However, one day I figured out the reason why some American children put their parents in nursing homes. I was working in a nursing home work as a caregiver, and one day of my residents asked me, if her daughter was going to visit her because it was her birthday. I said I wasn’t sure, but I said I would ask the supervisor. The daughter of my resident came to surprise her with her family. I just realized that there is nothing wrong with being in a nursing home. It means love. They loved their parents just as I loved my parents. They just want to make sure that their parents are being taken care all day and night. This is how some American people show their love to their parents because some of them are busy, and some of them dealing with other personal issues in life. There may be different reasons why children put their parents in a nursing home, but least they visit their parents and spend time together.

Now that I have lived in United States for more than two years, I have begun to understand the reason why they have strong and independent personalities and why some children put their parents in the nursing home. I learned not to judge people based on one’s own opinion. People need to learn, see, and observe. At the end of the day, regardless of where people come from, people have different styles of showing their affection to their loved ones. People cannot judge each other how they are taking care of their parents and how they raise their children. Everyone just has to respect people’s beliefs. To be respectful is not a hard thing to do. It’s showing other people how parents raised their children. We are human beings, and we must spread love instead hate. People need to be kind to one another because no one knows their culture or what they been through in life.