Proud to be an American!
American by choice. That’s what I consider myself to be. I entered this world in a far away land across the Atlantic Ocean. When I was fifteen years old, my whole life changed in a blink of an eye. I became exposed to the trials and tribulations of war overnight, and had to live through an unimaginable horror and pain. However, on August 10, 1993, sixteen days before my seventeenth birthday, my biggest wish came true. With not a penny to my name, nor any knowledge of the English Language, I landed in Chicago.
Although being a refugee was almost as bad as living in a war, it didn’t take much for me to progress. Americans made it easy for me to feel comfortable and accepted. I am now a proud American and nobody can take that away from me. Each day is a blessing and I thank God for giving me the opportunity to move here, to learn and grow. Independence Day has a special meaning for me and I celebrate it with so much love, pride and gratitude in my heart.
As Americans, we are individuals who come from different cultures, religions and economic backgrounds– but our future is made together, made in the USA!
May God bless our country!
I wish you all a safe and happy Independence Day celebration.
~Sanela
“Ms. Jurich is a master story teller with a historically important background that must be read in its entirety to be appreciated – Don’t worry, once she’s introduced, you’ll hang on every word.” – iSTAR
A New Year is like a blank book, and the pen is in your hands. It is your chance to write a beautiful story for yourself. Happy Writing!
In Columbia people wear red underwear for love or yellow for money backwards, but by midnight, they have to be put on right.
In Ecuador, they make a doll to burn. It signifies the burning away of the old year and the welcoming of the new one. Men dress up in drag and pretend to be the “widow” of the doll and beg for coins in the streets to help pay for the funeral costs.
In Turkey, women wear red underwear for good luck. Also, they believe that it’s how you enter into the New Year, that’s how your whole year is going to be, for example: if you are spending your New Year’s Eve with friends and having fun, you’ll be surrounded with friends and have fun all year long.