Love Left Behind

People make decisions everyday of their lives. Some decisions are more difficult than others. My grandparents had in mind better futures for their children when they decided to leave Vietnam and immigrate to America. In America lay their hopes of freedom and for better futures. The family was divided into three groups of four. Their plan was to meet at the harbor no later than 3:00 AM because sunrise would take place at 5:00 AM and they might be seen. May 5th, 1981, at 3:00 AM, my grandparents, aunts, and uncles were crowded onto my grandfather's fishing boat. All were there except for my two aunts. The family had to leave on time and that time was 3:00 AM. It was too late to turn back, so he finally decided to leave without his two daughters. That was the hardest decision he had to make in his life. He made the right decision, and I am alive to show for it.

This decision was not easy. My grandfather did not know what would happen to his daughters. They could've been executed or thrown in jail. At that time the inhabitants of Vietnam were not allowed to leave. When a family left Vietnam, all of its property went to the government. My aunts were left without a home. I can not imagine the worry and sorrow they felt.

There were many factors to take into account when my grandfather made his decision. Everyone was already on the boat at that time and if he decided to turn back, all of their lives would have been endangered. The safety of his daughters were endangered if they were caught. By the time my aunts had finally reached the harbor they had left without them. I will never know how much fear and sadness they felt.

My grandfather's decision affected many more people, than just me. My sisters and cousins would not have been born if the family had not left Vietnam. My aunts, uncles, and my dad might not have survived if they had not left. I would not be in eighth grade, I would not be in Ms. Smith's class, and I would not be writing this paper. My dad would not have met my mother and that would have been a problem because there would have never been a Christine, a Jasmine or a Grace.

When my aunts were left behind, they had to hurry home to not be caught. They were captured and sent to jail. They did about three years of community service. When they were released from jail,they had no where to live because the communists had taken everything they owned. They lived in a temple in Vietnam. After about fifteen years of struggling to survive, my uncles in America sponsored my aunts over. Everyone was finally reunited with each other. The burdens of worry, sorrow, and sadness were finally dropped.

After this was told to me, I realized many new lessons. To make the right decisions in life may require some sacrifices. Decisions that we make everyday might be small, but they will effect us in the long run. It is not always easy to make the right decision.

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