My Children’s Motherland

Patriotism is a feeling that is nurtured gradually in a child. At school, children learn about the symbols that represent the motherland: the national anthem and the country’s history; along with those teachings is that feeling of security that human beings get from a sense of belonging, which tells them they come from a particular place. It is comparable to the need we have of knowing who our parents are, having a country to call your own is a basic element of our development as social beings.

As an immigrant in the United States I’ve always felt strong and secure by knowing where I come from; the peace of mind to knowing which is my motherland helps me deal with nostalgia and mixed feelings we immigrants usually feel. There is a saying that states “home is where the heart is” and I totally agree, it’s just as simple as that.

On Saturday, while we were watching the fireworks -first time for AbiCool- the three of us sitting on the grass seeing the magic of colors through her eyes, I couldn’t help but feeling an overwhelming excitement for a couple of minutes. I surprised myself with a feeling that my brain had only allowed me to feel about the half island I yearn for, my motherland.

At that moment, I realized that little by little the United States is becoming an adoptive motherland that I learn to love like a growing child. And, how can I not fall in love? I just have to look at my daughter and how safe she feels in her surrounding, the only one she knows, the land where she was born, her motherland, and the only thing I can do is feeling as a part of that.

The love for my motherland is unswerving, with its flaws and virtues I love and respect it, and I’ll continue to do so. My children’s motherland is becoming little by little in my own motherland, a place that I want to see improve each an every day, a place with fairness and opportunities for a better future.

“Home Is Where The Heart Is”.  “The Motherland Is Where The Heart Is”. My heart is over there with my people; and it is also over here with my people. That’s the way my children’s motherland has captivated me and is becoming my adoptive motherland. After seven years of living here, my daughter is awarding me a sense of belonging, a feeling that with each passing day I am less of a foreigner.

Happy Independence Day America!

[dania]