It couldn’t have been easy to have a daughter that dreams as big as I do. You and I both always knew that I was destined for something greater. So you poured everything you had into me to make sure that no opportunity was out of my reach.

Pride doesn’t even begin to describe what I feel when I look at you. To know that my immigrant parents, without any sort of formal education and a life of fear, danger, and oppression, provided me with the best education and privileges this world has to offer… it fills me with a sense of responsibility.

I don’t dream big for me. I dream big for our bloodline.

Growing up, I often thought about how easily my life could’ve turned out differently. If you didn’t have the guts to uproot our family to a whole new world, if you weren’t lucky enough to get that Visa, if you simply decided to settle somewhere else, I would’ve had a completely different life. One that may not have had as many opportunities as the one I currently live.

When thinking about that, it felt like I was given a gift. One that I would be selfish to throw away. One that took generations of blood, sweat, sacrifice, and tears, to finally make a reality. The more I learned about the history of our world, the more I understood how wronged we were in it.

Slowly, that sense of responsibility turned into an overwhelming guilt. Why did I get to live such a beautiful life of privilege when none of my ancestors before me were afforded the same? How could I carry on knowing that I lived in a world biased against my own people?

You watched me as I struggled with this strife. You consoled me as this guilt slowly ate away at my mind. You stood by me and continued loving me even when the demons got the better of me. As I was making decisions that broke your heart, you were still there to help me mend mine.

Through your unconditional support, I slowly began to dream again – to believe that a brighter world was not only possible, but that it was up to me to create it.

As I began sharing my story – our story – with the world, you gave me the space to do so. As I started to understand that I wanted to dedicate my life to the journey of self-discovery, you told me to go for it. As I decided to take all of my education and opportunity and throw away the stability of a traditional, good-paying job, you never doubted my vision.

How did I get so lucky to have parents like you?

Thanks to you, I’ve made a name for myself. I stand for something greater than myself. I teach, inspire, and encourage others to embrace everything about who they are because you taught me how to do that.

You taught me to never doubt myself and so that is exactly what I did, even when not doubting me meant taking on doubt from you. Still, I stood strong, like you showed me to do, and slowly showed you the vision I’ve been seeing all along.

Now, look at us! A family of business owners with a world of opportunities at the horizon.

We did it.

And by “we”, I don’t just mean me, you, and my sisters. I mean all of us. Dhadha, and Dhadi, and everything they did to raise you into the parents you became. Their parents after them and all that they taught them. All of our ancestors and every decision they made to make our bloodline as strong as it is to have made it here.

We did it. We finally made it to living a life of opportunity instead of a life of survival.

You see, dreams do come true. But, they aren’t made over night or even over one lifetime. Dreams are forged through the strife, the pain, the values & virtue, the traditions, the struggle, the hustle of generations of human existence.

We all carry the history of the people that came before us, and with that, the dreams.

So, Mommy & Papa, I know having a daughter that dreams as boundlessly as I do can be overwhelming at times. But, I think you always knew to some degree that I dream so largely and loudly because you never got to.

None of us ever got to until now. Until me.

I hope I make you proud in dreaming so loudly for all of us. Time to put our name on the map.