I have a vivid memory of my grandfather telling me anecdotes about the Moroccan war he fought in and the way he once risked his life for a drink of water; or my father getting up at 5 in the morning and having to ride his bike for 10kms every day to bring parcels for the family business before he set off for work; or one of my nephews, who used to ask me to tell him about the day my car broke down in the fast lane on one of the busiest ring roads in Madrid.
As it is stated in The New York Times Learning Network, family stories often include events in which people make a sacrifice: Perhaps relatives fled political oppression in their home country or moved to a place where their children and grandchildren were likely to have more opportunities. Perhaps they worked long hours to provide for the family. What stories are there in your family story of personal sacrifice?
Get together with the members of your conversation group and discuss how the actions and decision of your parents, grandparents or other relatives spoke, or speak, to their hopes for their children. What did they do? How have you benefited by their sacrifices, hard work or planning? What have you learned from their examples?
To gain further insight into this topic you can read The New York Times article by Sam Borden and Keith Bradsher “Tight-Knit Family Shares Lin’s Achievement,” where they tell the story of basketball sensation Jeremy Lin’s parents.
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