Tree of Life

The Roots

I grew up in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. I was raised Catholic and attended church every Sunday and on special holidays. I also went to Sunday school with my siblings. The lady that taught us Sunday school was lovely and kind. I really enjoyed her bible stories and games; I have very good memories of her. I come from a very large family. I have 17 brothers and sisters and I am number 16 down the ladder. My dad was a very kind man, but my mom was disciplinarian. Our family was poor, we did not have a lot in terms of toys and such. I was one of those kids that played with marbles, and games that we played, with two sticks. I did not have a lot, but I was happy with the little bit that I had. Till this day, I am not attached to material things. Growing up, one of the things I like to do was visiting with my older siblings on weekends. In Mexico there are always parties. Parties for weddings, first communions, baptisms, coming of age celebrations called, “quinceaneras”, birthday parties, etc. There is always an excuse to have a party. I remember being at parties almost every weekend. In Mexico, children are always welcome to the parties. Unfortunately, parents would drive drunk, I can’t believe I am still alive! Thank God nothing ever happened, we always arrived home safely after the parties. I have some fun memories, as well as some traumatic ones. It would be a long story if I started to write it all, so I will just leave it at that.

The Ground

I have been meditating for about two years now, I find that it has helped me be more grounded. I like to meditate each morning before I start my day. Through meditation, I have learned to forgive many people, as well as myself. I have also learned to be more accepting of others and myself. But I have to admit that I still have to practice to fully accept myself. I am working on it, and I am almost there! Back in January 2020, I decided to go for a massage once a month. I have followed through with that decision, but could not go during the heavy period of the pandemic. I actually had a massage today! Self care has become one of my priorities. I am taking time to socialize more as well. I had breakfast with two of my friends this morning. It is very important for me to stay connected with friends and family. I have been committed to my daily exercises; this is my third day of the start of my body building routine. My daughter and I, have decided to start this challenge. Having someone to do it with me, is motivating me to stay focused and not back out of it.

The Trunk

I like to help everyone whenever possible. Growing up, I always helped around the house. When I was very young, I remember going to our neighbour’s house and would help her do dishes and clean her kitchen and living room. She was old and needed help, she would always tell me stories from her young years while I did the chores. I remember finding her stories very fascinating! I consider myself being very caring. Since I was a young girl, I would help my older siblings look after my nieces and nephews. I loved and cared for them, I enjoyed babysitting. I felt very responsible when I was left alone with them. The way I feel about caring for children now, has not changed. My biggest joy is giving, I love to give in any way I can. I consider myself to be respectful, and it is something that I teach my kids and the day care children to be like. Honesty is something that I taught my children since they were very young. My father always told us kids that it was better to get in trouble by telling the truth, than by getting caught lying. Trust comes with honesty, so I like people to trust me, and I feel great when I can trust others as well. As per my skills, I like to cook. I never cooked growing up, but learned to cook at an ESL cooking class in Vancouver back in 1988. I loved cooking ever since! Owning a couple of older homes over the years, I have learned to be  a bit of a builder. Watching my builder friend doing so many different projects in my homes, I learned how to do and build things. I have grown to like construction and renovations. I can use tools pretty well. When it comes to keeping a clean house, I do my best. I have found a way to maintain it as clean as possible, but it requires some delegating.  Running my own business for 30 years, has given me some accounting and business skills. I am not perfect, but I think I am a pretty good mom. It sometimes takes skill to deal with your children. Not to mention the day care children as well. I am known among my friends and family, as the action taker. I am one of those people that takes action and deals with the consequences later.

The Branches

My mom’s health was not the best, and she died last year at age 72. I like to exercise and now try to eat the right foods. I want to be strong and healthy so I can live longer and enjoy my family as long as I can. I look forward to finishing my certificate ECCE program and starting my ECCE diploma program. MY goal is to open more group and infant toddler centers in the valley. I am planning to write some books; I have already started a couple of stories. When the pandemic is over, I will be traveling to new countries twice a year. I want to speak a couple of other languages. Vietnamese and Portuguese are in my top priority. I would like to eventually be a bursary donor. I am thinking about opening my own YouTube channel for kids. I want to do volunteering for some countries or organizations. I want to continue to be a land lady in the future.

The Leaves

I have added all of the people that have been of great significance in my life. Each leaf has a name of a friend, family members, teachers, instructors and bosses that have form an important part in my life. These people have helped me be who I am today.

Flowers

The red flowers contain the legacies that I want to leave behind. Have the strength to never give up, the courage to keep going, find the positive in the worse of situations, be determine to reach your goals, love what you do, have hope that you’ll rise above all situations, if something or someone inspires you, do not be scared to follow their lead, but never forget to spread the goodness that is within you.

I found this assignment very enjoyable. It made me think of people that I had forgotten about, but that have left a positive mark in my life. Now I have the tree as a reminder to remember those that have made a difference in my life.