Homecoming and parents weekend, one of UC Berkeley’s biggest events of the year, had an open house for Morrison Library last Friday. Oblivious to the particular events happening, I decided to get ahead of my readings for next week’s classes and go there, since it has always been one of my favorite libraries on campus.
As I took a seat and ventured into Foucault’s “Discipline and Punish,” I was distracted by parents and families walking by, exploring the impressive and awe-inspiring architecture of Morrison, whispering to each other, taking pictures and looking so happy.
To be honest, I was not annoyed by the distractions, I was just melancholic. I felt this way because throughout my time as a UC Berkeley student my mom was not able to visit me and experience what these families were experiencing with their college kids during parents
weekend, a beautiful family bond. Due to bureaucratic immigration policies and COVID-19 delays in visa processes, my mother was not able to come to the United States for more than two years. Although I have visited my family in Mexico, I really wanted to share with her my
favorite places in Berkeley, my favorite restaurants and libraries.
For me, school has always been very important, thanks to my mom. She was not able to pursue higher education due to economic and family constraints, so she always told me to take advantage of every opportunity to further my education. My dad and my siblings have always
been supportive of my educational journey both economically and emotionally, and all of them have a special place in my heart. Yet, it was my mom who instilled in me the perseverance needed when things got hard. Because of this, having my mom here at UC Berkeley would mean the world to me. I want her to be proud of my achievements. I want to show her how far I have come, thanks to her. I really wanted to experience a parents weekend with my family.
I left Morrison feeling tired, hungry and ready to relax once I got home from a long day of studying. Yet, I kept thinking about my family and how much I wished I could show them around the campus. Fridays are my low-tech day, so I strive to keep my screen time at a minimum,
silencing my phone and keeping it out of reach for most of the day. When I got home, I had a missed call from my dad.
I called back and he said, “Mom finally got her visa, and I just wanted to call and tell you that we are gonna go and visit you real soon.”
His words were the words I needed to hear the most that day. My dad is a US citizen who has lived more than half of his life in Mexico, so he was able to come to help me move into Berkeley two years ago, and visit me periodically since then. But he traveled alone, while my mom was still in Mexico, unable to travel to Berkeley. I remember the times my dad visited me, we would have lunch and Facetime my mom, telling her how much we missed her.
But now, I know that next time I see my dad, we won’t have to call her, because she will be here too, and I will be able to tell her face-to-face how much I missed her.
