Migrants from Honduras and the rest of Central America venture to the United States every day in search of better opportunities, money, or other family members. Enrique's mother Lourdes initially hears different things about mothers going to the United States to look for jobs and support their families. She also sees the country all over TV, "New York City's spectacular skyline, Las Vegas's shimmering lights, Disneyland's magic castle" (4). Once in the states however, Lourdes soon realizes that not everything is bright lights and magic castles. She faces rough neighborhoods and difficult relationships. It is easy for mothers and children to dream for something so extraordinary when surrounded by so much poverty and suffering in Honduras. Similarly, the idealized version of a mother that abandoned children create is an expectation that reality typically crushes. Because Enrique's mother leaves him so early in his life, he sees every action of hers as perfect and as loving as possible. While in search for her, he dreams of finding a loving and perfect mother that he has never known before. However, though Enrique is at first overjoyed to have found his mother, her imperfections quickly disappoint him. He begins to scold her for not being the idealized mother he had created in his mind and heart for so many years. He even begins to tell her she is not his mother. "Nothing, he tells her, was gained by their long separation. 'People come here to prosper. You have nothing here...A true mother, he tells Lourdes, isn't the person who carries you in her womb. It is someone who raises and nurtures you" (198). Nevertheless, Lourdes also has expectations of Enrique. "Lourdes expected Enrique to love her like the five-year-old who clung to her in Honduras" (198). Both characters base their lives off of these unrealistic expectations instead of attempting to mend their broken relationship. Enrique and Lourdes have trouble accepting that no one can be exactly what he or she is expected to be. No matter what Enrique or Lourdes does, one can never truly satisfy the other. Accepting reality is the biggest challenge upon entering the United States for every migrant.
There have been many times in my life where I have expected a lot out of someone or something only to be disappointed by reality. Though it can be devastating at times, accepting that every thing will not go my way is a huge part of life. When I can accept that nothing is perfect, I can move forward and improve upon whatever it is that was not good enough in the first place. Growing up, at least to me, is the biggest example of this. When I was younger, all I really wanted was to be older than I was. I thought being 16 would answer all of my problems and being in high school would be the greatest time of my life. Though high school is fun in its own way, its not all the rainbows and parties I thought it would be. I expected a lot out of something that really was not worth rushing towards. The reality is that high school is not all about having the time of your life, its about working hard and getting into a good college which is more stressful than fun. Has there ever been something that you were really excited for or expected great things from only to be disappointed by reality? If so, how did you come to accept it (or not accept it)?
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