Dear Chris Gardner,
The classic story of “rags-to-riches”, portrayed in the novel The Pursuit of Happyness, has inspired me to realize and to respect the ones around me more. Usually when one reads this novel in the author’s chosen point of view, the message learned is very clear: with handwork and dedication to your dreams, one can achieve success. However, when I read this novel, I connected and learned the most from Chris Jr. – Chris Gardner’s son. Chris going and surviving through being homeless and “down-and-out” with his father has taught me to be more appreciative and grateful towards my parents; since, they also went through similar conflicts highlighted in the novel.
When I first moved to America, my dad was doing a fellowship for Vanderbilt University Medical Center. But after an unfortunate turn of events, my father was dismissed and had a period of time looking for other jobs. My dad had a similar goal to Chris Gardner: to find the “pearls” in the “oyster.” During this time, I was extremely selfish and conceited. I never respected and appreciated the small-but-really-big favors my parents did for me. I distinctly remember the time when my dad came from a 14-hour shift – or as doctors would say, “Being on call” –, and I got extremely irritated because he forgot to buy me the items I needed to complete a school assignment. Even though I knew he was extremely tired, I made him drive for twenty minutes to buy it. An even worse attitude was given to my mother. I always though my mother was lazy due to the fact that she didn’t work; It always disgusted me when I would see her sitting on the couch all day, while my dad would come home from extremely long shifts, tired. Even as I entered high school, I always took my parents for granted. It’s only till after I read this book that I started to see my parent’s hidden hard work and dedication FOR ME.
