Mariano Rivera — Dreams do come true. Part 2.
My best experience was obviously when I had a family of my own, being able to make new friends and watch my kids grow up here. I have been able to give them an education in a different country, a different land than my own, and become a citizen of the United States. My parents still live in Panama, my brothers are in Panama as well. When you yearn to go back home, it's melancholic and this feeling makes it hard to fight back tears.
You can never forget or lose your core values. Spending time with your family, I love doing that, being with my family. My family was always together and the house was always full of people sharing with each other, I love that. We can not forget these values, to respect one another, to love and protect your family while respecting others. I am trying to pass these down to my children
Being a Latino here in the United States is a strength and we should always keep our heads held high. We should not settle for, or accept less because of where we come from or because we are immigrants. Instead, we work hard and give our best.
I would like to be remembered for what I have always loved to do, which is help others. I would like people to say that I always had time for them and that I helped others and not just myself.
Mariano Rivera’s sentiments are shaped by his experiences in his country. Growing up I saw my parents help others when we did not have much. I saw my parents give away what they had to help others, and their acts of selflessness have had an impact on me to this very day. The best advice I can give someone who has dreams similar to my own, is to know that dreams do come true, and we should give 100% of ourselves in order to realize them. We come to this foreign country and we must behave and do things the right way because not only do we represent our families, but our race and our country as well. The American dream is attainable, but one must work for it. When you finally reach it, you must set the best example so that those who come after you, will do the same.