How My Aunt Became My Mother
My parents argued as I ran from room to room, entertaining myself. I was 6, my brother was 3 and we were living in South Korea. After each lap around the small apartment, I paused and took a look at the woman giving me a tight smile. The smile seemed genuine to me, and it […]
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Adjusting to My Adoptive Family
When I was first adopted out of foster care at age 6, everyone in my new family was sweet to me. It seemed like there was a lot of love. In addition to my two adoptive parents, I had six new siblings. Nobody made me feel like I was different. I watched TV shows and […]
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My Passion for Piano
When I was 7, the building where I took after-school art classes had a piano class next door, so I often heard the music serenading me through the wall. One time my art teacher was late, so the piano teacher invited me into their class and taught me the beginner song “Hot Cross Buns.” When […]
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A Breakthrough With My Mom
When I was 7, my mother said, “I’m going to America to give us a better life.” “Why?” I asked. In Jamaica, my dad worked for a gas company and owned a shop attached to our house where we sold basic items like bread, light bulbs, and combs. On Saturdays we sold patties, a kind […]
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