I appreciate my father, despite being strict and stubborn at certain times, for being a hardworking and inspiring man. He went through harsh times in China, but he worked hard in his studies to move to America to make a better life for himself and his children.

Although his mother was in jail and he was facing starvation, my father embraced these hardships and studied hard to come to America. He would walk hours to and from his school in China, and helped his foster parents in the fields after school, which limited his studying time. I am thankful for my father for being the assiduous and enduring man he is. Today, he still maintains his persevering attitude when striving to improve his business and when practicing Tai Qi Quan early in the morning nearly every day. He once told me, “Since there is nothing easy in life, you must persevere to get what you want.”

Through his suffering, he gave me a chance for the life I might have never had. Even though my life is much more luxurious than my fathers, I intend to express my gratitude through my work. My father is my role-model; he is the man I wish to be as I mature into an adult. I am also thankful for my father putting up with me being a picky eater, asking to be carried around, and whining for the things I desired, albeit not knowing of his troubled childhood. Most of all, I am grateful to him for raising me and for being a great father.