Tserung Tsomo
, 14 years old
What Compassion Means to Me
I am Tsering Tsomo.
I am 14 years old. My sister and I are the only Tibetan girls living in
Idaho. When I was a baby, my mother won a government lottery in which
hundreds of thousands of Tibetan refugees living in India and Nepal applied.
The lottery gave 1,000 Tibetans the opportunity to live in America. My
mother, Tsering Ongmu was one of the fortunate few. It was hard for her to
leave her family and friends. I was still a baby and my sister was only
three years old. My mother sacrificed leaving her family behind and coming
to America in order to provide a better future for my sister and I.
It was really hard
for her to begin a new life in America. My mother didn’t know that much
English when she got here. Luckily, there was a small Tibetan community
living in Idaho at that time. She stayed here for five years working as a
care taker, studying and saving money to bring the rest of our family. When
I was 7 years old, my father Sonam Wangdi and sister Rinzing Choden and I
were finally able to come to the U.S. to live with my mother. Twelve years
have passed and we are living the American dream. My mother and father have
worked hard and saved to purchase the beautiful home we live in today.
To me my mother
represents compassion. She is always kind and thoughtful of others and tries
her best to make everyone happy. She works hard and makes me want to work
hard just like her. She tries and never gives up. She is forgiving and
teaches me to be kind and nice to others, even though they might be your
enemy. She gives me courage to stand up for what I believe in. Through her
example, I learn about my culture and she teaches me how to pray. She is not
afraid of anything. She is always ready for everything. I have learned that
sometimes you have to sacrifice the things you love most in order to help
others.
His Holiness, the
Dalai Lama teaches me to be compassionate. He teaches that violence does not
solve anything and is a great political leader. He inspires me to help
others and to believe in peace, to work hard but also have fun. He shows
people that anything is possible.
I hope to make my
mother proud by being successful in live. I want to follow in her footsteps
by helping others. My dream is to one day become a doctor and save lives,
caring for children in need. Compassion to me means to love as a mother
loves.
