I am rich.

Hey dolls.

This is the second day of the blog challenge. I didn't even need to look for a topic today because I already had one prior to checking what's on the list. I picked "What are you most thankful for?"
It relates to what I had in mind. I picked up my brother from the GO Station 2 hours ago. He came home after 2 weeks today and we had a long chat about everything. We caught up on everything we missed and somehow, delved into deeper thinking. He was going to watch a movie with his friends and while I was dropping him off.. we wanted to play the same song in the car and embarrass ourselves by singing it out loud.
Suddenly, he turned to me and said.. "I know we've had our ups and downs, but I love you sistah." I said, "I know we don't love each other in the very obvious kind of way, but the bond is evidently there." He said, "People who say it the least actually mean it more."

... that was touching. I had a moment.

Before we left the house, we had this 1 hour long conversation about a bunch of things. The main thing that came out of the conversation is that we are SO grateful for our lives. We thank GOD for what we have today. We must have done some good deeds to deserve what we have.

Coming from a very middle-class lifestyle from India.. to a much upgraded standard of living here. It's been a decade. Things have changed drastically. I remember.. our cousins used to bring back their used clothes for us to wear. Back then.. it was new to us. What did we know? Coming out of those used clothes into wearing labels is quite a leap. The best thing about living here is - most of the people can make themselves a good living by working hard. They can have the Prada glasses, MK purses and Beamers to drive. It takes a few years but it is possible. Sometimes.. I imagine if we had still been there.. would we have ever been able to witness this life?

You know what makes you rich? It's not money. It's FAMILY. It's my biggest asset. Bigger than what any bank account could hold.

How often do we take a second to just thank our family for being so wonderful and supportive. For the kind of parents I have.. I must have done something crazy good to deserve them. I know I am very repetitive because I always say great things about my parents but trust me, there is nothing else I'd rather say. My father is such a hard working individual. All this didn't come for free. It came with blood, sweat and tears. My mother, on the other hand, is probably the best lady that I've ever known. She is the synonym for sacrifice. She comes last. Her husband and kids are first no matter what. The amount of things she has done to keep us happy.. cannot be expressed in words.

It is not being the same "blood" to call yourself a family. Family is not about having the same genetics. It is about being there for each other. It is about catching each other when we fall. It is about sticking together through thick and thin. No wonder, there is no better bond out there. Family is what makes you and breaks you.

Not only my father.. but a new addition in our family, my fiancee, is extremely hard working as well. He doesn't see day or night when he's working. He gives me everything that I want. There has not been a time where he said, "No" to anything. I spoil myself sometimes, but never take advantage. Because I know what the value of money is. It has been a great lesson in our family. My brother has now matured into a sensible man. He is so intelligent and I am so proud of him. Last month, he was awarded by his university's Dean for achieving the highest grades in his class. I am a PROUD sister. I am so glad to have these amazing people in my life. This is what I am truly thankful for. I am thankful for making it.

I am thankful for graduating with decent grades. I am thankful for pursuing a variety of qualifications to keep myself going. I am thankful for wearing the nice clothes I can afford to it. I am thankful for driving and not taking a bus anymore. I am thankful that anything I ask for is one call away. I am thankful that my parents are my best friends. I am thankful that majority of my laughter and happiness has been given to me by my family. I am thankful for a closely-knit family and an unbreakable bond. I am thankful for the customs and values I have been taught by my family. There are times when people in parties come up to my parents and say, "You have given your children some great values." It is such a proud moment to see a smile on their faces.

I am thankful that I am getting engaged to a wonderful man. I am thankful that we are doing it up big, just like a fairy-tale that I always dreamt of. I am thankful that we are able to do this today. When we first came here, there were many people who didn't believe in our ability to establish and settle here. Some people criticized us saying, "It doesn't matter if you are a citizen now. your roots are still Indian." Others called us "freshies".. *rolls eyes*

Well, yes.. our roots bloody well are Indian.. and I am mighty proud of it. And for those who called us freshies.. Guess what? I respect "freshies." Some of us are fortunate enough to have our parents with us. But other "freshies"  live here alone and earn money to support their families back home, with a huge cultural gap. And you know when it gets better? When these "freshies" make it even BIGGER than those who called them names. They go far and beyond of what they could have achieved in life.

There are genuine people who come here to work hard. They respect the country they live in and are very law abiding.  They don't carry a hidden agenda. They earn an honest living and don't fraud the systems. That is what my family did, like many other immigrant families. We started from scratch and are currently living an amazing life, that we are very thankful for. And this is basically my post about family, money, 'freshies' and relationships.