Sacrifices

When you read my title, what was the first thing or who was the first person that you thought of? Was it Jesus? Was it your mother or father? Or was it the song My Sacrifice by Creed? We all know that Jesus sacrificed Himself for our sins. He died in order for us to be saved. With our parents, most especially our mothers sacrificed for 9 months to carry us inside her womb. Our mothers also endured all the pains during pregnancy and even those labor pains. I have not yet experienced the pain of being pregnant and giving birth but I have heard and read a lot of stories that it was really painful but worth it especially when they heard their baby's cry. Our fathers sacrificed in order to give us a better future. Some of them sacrificed being away from their families because they needed to work in a country where there is better compensation. Sacfificing is an act of giving up the things or people that we love for the greater good.

What were the sacrifices that you have made in the past that had made a big impact on you and/or to someone? I know my mom had sacrificed her career after she gave birth to me because she needed to take care of me and my brother. She was hands-on to the both of us. She did not have any salary but she did not complain about it. I truly appreciate all of the sacrifices that my parents did for all of us especially for me.

Actually  I wanted my title to be "My sacrifice" but thinking about it, I think I still do not have any big sacrifice that I made for someone. Or maybe I did but I did not think of it as a sacrifice. Now, I remembered that I was working during almost all of the special ocassions even Christmas or New Year in the past. Sacrificing family gatherings or time with the family for work. This is something that some people can relate to that is why I envy the people who worked for the government because they do not have work on such holidays. It was the only sacrifice that I can think of as of the moment. Although you can add that sometimes I sacrifice my time for my family just to be with friends or my past flirtationship. There was one moment in my life where I chose my friends from work to celebrate my birthday's eve than with my family. That time some of our relatives will be going back to New York on the day of my birthday so they prepared a small celebration for me a day before. I was really guilty as it was the first time that I will be celebrating my birthday with our relatives abroad. I chose my friends over my family because it was the time when I firsr fell in love. My mom was so angry but I even talked to my dad's cousin to encourage my mom to let me celebrate that day with my friends. They say that a a person in love will really do crazy things right? That was me. I went home morning of my birthday just in time to say goodbye to our relatives. My mom was really pissed at me but we still had my birthday lunch that day only pwrson missing was my aunt who that time was the one who can talk to my mom about my actions. I told her about my first love and she was rooting for us. We never heard from her after she left.

I know that it was selfish of me to choose my love over my family. But if we were to talk about sacrificing something big or heavy just like how God sacrificed His son, how Abraham would sacrifice his son, Isaac, as it was what God had asked of him or how Jesus sacrificed His life and died on the cross to save us. I think I have not yet experienced sacrificing something for the greater good. Even if I have only experienced sacrificing little things, it still felt very hard for me. I know I was happy that I get to spend time with my first love before but there was this heaviness on my heart that I felt like I have betrayed my family because of someone. We sacrifice something not just for ourselves but for other people.

P.S. lead image is a photo of me and my parents.