Washed Down by Ruthless Waves

By Anonymous / Winter 2025

My hometown is a small county town in China. It is not a wealthy city, but it carries many of my memories. My parents both have a middle school education. As far as I can remember, they have been working in an iron ore factory, doing heavy and dangerous physical labor. Due to the arrangement of work, they sometimes work early shifts and sometimes work all night shifts. Whenever I return home, I will see their tired appearance. The work in the iron ore factory is not only boring, but also full of life-threatening dangers. Every year, workers die due to improper operation, but my parents' salary has not increased. Although life is not rich, they will try their best to meet my wishes when I was a child. However, with the continuous deterioration of China's economic environment, many factories began to lay off employees on a large scale, and even many young people found it difficult to find a stable job. At that time, my family's financial situation became more and more difficult, and my parents' anxiety became more and more serious.

When I was in high school, my grades were not very good at that time, so I did not have the opportunity to go to a good university in China. My parents began to think about a question: how to provide me with a better future and educational opportunities? They knew that education was the only way to change destiny, and the economic situation in China at that time was not ideal. And they seemed to have no more choices except to work harder. So, despite facing huge difficulties, they made a difficult decision to immigrate to the United States with me. However, this decision was not easy. Both my parents had no English skills and knew almost nothing about life in the United States, but in order to give me a broader future, they decided to meet all unknown challenges. Fortunately, one of my uncles immigrated to the United States in his early years and had already made his own life here. With his help, we rented a small house and quickly settled down our daily necessities.

In the early days of coming to the United States, our life was not smooth sailing. On the one hand, my parents were busy preparing materials for my high school registration, and on the other hand, they had to keep looking for jobs. Since they did not know English, finding a job and communicating became extremely difficult. They had no time to adapt to the unfamiliar language and culture. In order to stabilize ours lives as soon as possible, my father started working as an Uber driver. Every morning, he went out early and came home late at night, with almost no time to rest. Although my mother also tried hard to find a job, because she could not drive, she could only work as a housekeeper, taking care of elderly people who were unable to live independently. In order to earn more money, she chose to live in the employer's home and get a higher salary. Since she may have to take care of the elderly at night, she can only sleep on a small bed in the elderly's room so that she can hear any needs of the elderly.

Sometimes, my mother and I would sit down and chat, and she would complain about the harsh requirements of her employer. For example, when cleaning the bathroom and kitchen, the employer always requires that no drop of water should be left on the floor and sink. In addition, sometimes she needs to clean up some old items, which have been obviously aged and damaged due to long-term use. As a result, my mother is often misunderstood as accidentally damaging these items when cleaning. These details made me realize for the first time that my mother has worked hard for the family and for me. I never thought that behind these seemingly ordinary things, there are her difficulties and hard work. Whenever they encountered difficulties and exhaustion at work, they always endured it silently. In a strange country, we have nothing to rely on. Once we stop, we will be washed down by the ruthless waves.

In the United States, my parents' lives are not as fulfilling as in China. Here, except for work, they have almost no other social activities or entertainment. Every day's life is to go out early and come back late, and there is no time to relax or party with friends after coming home. In contrast, in China, they can go out after dinner, chat with friends or participate in some entertainment activities, and their lives are full of more interactions and fun. In the United States, they left their relatives and familiar social circles and entered an environment with almost no friends. Although they do not regret this decision, this loneliness and monotony are also quietly consuming their energy. Their selfless dedication is like a light bulb, shining on me all the time, without asking for anything in return, and they will persist until the last moment even if they are gradually exhausted.

Although life was tough, my parents have never stopped to rest. All their efforts were to ensure that I could receive a better education and have a brighter future. This is the idea of many Chinese parents, which is very simple and true. Whenever I encounter difficulties in my studies and want to give up, I will think of my parents' efforts and expectations. It is their expectations that give me the motivation to keep moving forward and the courage to face challenges. Whenever night falls, I always stare at the ceiling, thinking of their tired but smiling faces. I often feel guilty that they are getting older but have no time to enjoy the pleasures of life and still have to work tirelessly to make ends meet. Now I have successfully entered a good university, and I understand that they have paid too much for me. I can never fully repay their efforts. They not only gave me the opportunity to come to this world, but also gave me everything they have. I believe that in the near future, I will have the opportunity and ability to realize their dreams and make them no longer suffer.