07/03/2026
I used to always think that I didn’t have any culture that I was raised up with. I admired people that specifically came from other countries and carried on their traditions. But I felt like I didn’t – until I got a little bit older, and I realized that the American traditions that I was raised in not everyone gets the opportunity to have and that gives me a culture worth celebrating. The culture that I was raised in looks like trailer parks where people gather weekly over grill outs. driving around with my dad in the late evening to country music through the farm fields. Knowing people with hearts full of gold and homes that have been well lived in and may not be aesthetic, but feel like a hug when you walk through the door. Being surrounded by people who have known greatly what it feels like to be forgiven much so they forgive and welcome easily. Being raised in a culture of people that do not know what shallow conversation is. Having a little bit of fun also means playing with a little bit of danger lol 🫣🤪 I used to be ashamed of my upbringing and the culture and traditions that I was brought up around, until I got a little bit older, and I realize how the Lord used a lot of those things to instill so much of the richness that he is blessed me with and the way that I do and interact and live. I may not have had a whole lot growing up, but I truly believe that my lack and the lack that my family had made them richer in spirit and soul. And I feel like that embodies a lot of America, so that’s what I think of when I think of America.
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