Blood, Sweat, and Tears

They say money is the root to all evil. I think money is one of the few material things that all people collectively around the world understand. They understand what it can buy, how it can redefine comfort, establish a sense of security and mostly the need for it. We all need a certain amount of money to survive, we all want more than we need.

My father worked really hard for his money. I remember growing up, watching him work. He never missed a day of work, was always willing to travel, and switched jobs any chance he had for a salary increase. He had seven children, and he understood the responsibility that went along with feeding and housing his family. Over the years he invested and bought property and made sure his family was safe with assets. Towards the end of his mental breakdown we noticed his homes had many backed up payments. We've recently been forced to sell his first home he had ever bought. The home is in New Jersey and too far away to upkeep.

In the selling process I was reminded of the book, "The Good Earth." I felt we weren't just selling a property, we were selling a part of my father's life. This house was the first house he bought in the states, four of his children were born in this house. My mother didn't approve of us selling the property, she thought we should keep it for it's sentimental value. We had to sell the house to preserve his other investments. I will never understand the "amount" of work my father did to make it to America.

His village Kamalpur has haunted my dreams since going there this past year. I can't imagine the will power it must have taken to decide to go against his parents and get an education. My father always told us stories of how hard he worked. In Calcutta he worked as a coolie at Howrah station, a tutor to highschool students, any odd job he could find, but he never forgot his final goal to get a college education. His life spiraled in directions that I'm not sure he had planned. As his children we are just trying to make sure both of my parents are well taken care of and not lose his legacy... it's a delicate balance.