32. A heart touching true story -- a refugee from Vietnam smuggled to America
I read this story below on facebook just a few minutes ago. In 1997 for a time we had an extra bedroom. We met Brian Sewell, a college student, and when he need a new apartment, he came to live with us for about 9 months. We became lifelong friends, and he comes and stays with us now and then. He has since married, and lives in California, and has a lovely family. He is a wonderful musician, and has composed many beautiful songs, and also is an entrepreneur, and has worked in several successful businesses.
This story below he wrote, I suppose today, and left it available to "share", so Brian, in case you read this, I hope you don't mind my sharing it here, as a touching story which hopefully will help us all feel more gratitude for our own lives and blessings. America is truly a "choice land". We often don't realize that many many people in the world simply have to find food and shelter each day, and don't have time or money to do much else. It is wonderful when we can help anyone trying to make a better life for themselves and family.
Brian simply inquired of the woman cutting his hair about her family and her life. It would be good if we all would do that with people we encounter. I believe it would help us have a greater love for others, and their challenges in life. Let's try to do that as the Christmas season is in full bloom!
This below is in Brian's own words:
"While getting a haircut this afternoon I had a very unexpected experience. Our family has received haircuts from this establishment for 10 years. But this time I inquired of the woman who was cutting my hair about her family and her life. She was born in Vietnam, the middle of 9 children. Her father served in the military for 30 years after which his family lived in a communist prison camp in communist Vietnam. Everything had been taken from them, including their home.
After 30 years of service and 9 children, all they had was literally the clothes on their back. Most of the children had what they called shoes which were really like flip-flops but they were a prized possession. They only wore shoes when they went to church or school. They weren’t allowed to wear them while working on the farm. Their feet are worn and callused as a result. She mentioned that after all these years whenever she goes shopping she ALWAYS buys shoes. It affected her that deeply.
They had no opportunity for education and knew very little about anything. When they got out of the prison camps they decided to farm and grow rice. Her family knew nothing about farming except that everyone in the town seemed to be doing the same thing, so they thought it was a good idea. They toiled, planted and waited six months for their first harvest. They discovered too late that when you grow rice you need a lot more water than they had. They discovered this when there was no rice in the small flower to harvest. She remembers how devastated her family was and seeing her mother cry because her children were starving.
The family decided to send her away on a boat to smuggle her into America. They took whatever resources they had after saving for years and sent their 19-year old daughter alone, packed and hidden on a boat to America. The entire family knew this would probably be the last time they would ever see her. She arrived in America not able to speak English, knowing nothing and no one. After miscellaneous jobs she put herself through beauty school and learned to cut hair.
After only 5 years she could pay for another one of her sisters who was 16 to come to America. There were no phones or means of communication between her and her family other than snail mail, which took about 4 months each way. When telephones finally came to their town it was two dollars a minute and when she called both her and her family were so choked up they couldn’t even speak while they paid for that very expensive phone call.
She continued for 20 years to work so she could bring her entire family to America, she did all the paperwork and petitioned the American government to allow her family to become citizens of America. After 20 years her parents were the last to arrive in America and she was reunited with them for the first time in 20 years.
She works at a small salon in Costa Mesa near my home and has been cutting my family’s hair for much of the last 10 years. I never knew her story during those years; maybe I would have been a little more generous with my tip. But she worked there day in and day out living as frugal as she possibly could so that one day she could bring her family to this most marvelous country we often take for granted. I felt very different about the $20 I gave her for my haircut. But I also felt very different about the troubles and difficulties in my own life. Her story transformed my attitude to one of gratitude. I thought I should share it with someone as it may just do the same for you."
Merry Christmas, Brian
This story below he wrote, I suppose today, and left it available to "share", so Brian, in case you read this, I hope you don't mind my sharing it here, as a touching story which hopefully will help us all feel more gratitude for our own lives and blessings. America is truly a "choice land". We often don't realize that many many people in the world simply have to find food and shelter each day, and don't have time or money to do much else. It is wonderful when we can help anyone trying to make a better life for themselves and family.
Brian simply inquired of the woman cutting his hair about her family and her life. It would be good if we all would do that with people we encounter. I believe it would help us have a greater love for others, and their challenges in life. Let's try to do that as the Christmas season is in full bloom!
Facebook post by Brian Sewell
This is a photo of Brian when he lived with us from October 1997 to June 1998 -- 16 years ago --. In this photo he was giving a vocal and piano concert in our local Tabernacle, to a large crowd. He had made his own CD, which was available then. We love to listen to it!
This below is in Brian's own words:
"While getting a haircut this afternoon I had a very unexpected experience. Our family has received haircuts from this establishment for 10 years. But this time I inquired of the woman who was cutting my hair about her family and her life. She was born in Vietnam, the middle of 9 children. Her father served in the military for 30 years after which his family lived in a communist prison camp in communist Vietnam. Everything had been taken from them, including their home.
After 30 years of service and 9 children, all they had was literally the clothes on their back. Most of the children had what they called shoes which were really like flip-flops but they were a prized possession. They only wore shoes when they went to church or school. They weren’t allowed to wear them while working on the farm. Their feet are worn and callused as a result. She mentioned that after all these years whenever she goes shopping she ALWAYS buys shoes. It affected her that deeply.
They had no opportunity for education and knew very little about anything. When they got out of the prison camps they decided to farm and grow rice. Her family knew nothing about farming except that everyone in the town seemed to be doing the same thing, so they thought it was a good idea. They toiled, planted and waited six months for their first harvest. They discovered too late that when you grow rice you need a lot more water than they had. They discovered this when there was no rice in the small flower to harvest. She remembers how devastated her family was and seeing her mother cry because her children were starving.
The family decided to send her away on a boat to smuggle her into America. They took whatever resources they had after saving for years and sent their 19-year old daughter alone, packed and hidden on a boat to America. The entire family knew this would probably be the last time they would ever see her. She arrived in America not able to speak English, knowing nothing and no one. After miscellaneous jobs she put herself through beauty school and learned to cut hair.
After only 5 years she could pay for another one of her sisters who was 16 to come to America. There were no phones or means of communication between her and her family other than snail mail, which took about 4 months each way. When telephones finally came to their town it was two dollars a minute and when she called both her and her family were so choked up they couldn’t even speak while they paid for that very expensive phone call.
She continued for 20 years to work so she could bring her entire family to America, she did all the paperwork and petitioned the American government to allow her family to become citizens of America. After 20 years her parents were the last to arrive in America and she was reunited with them for the first time in 20 years.
She works at a small salon in Costa Mesa near my home and has been cutting my family’s hair for much of the last 10 years. I never knew her story during those years; maybe I would have been a little more generous with my tip. But she worked there day in and day out living as frugal as she possibly could so that one day she could bring her family to this most marvelous country we often take for granted. I felt very different about the $20 I gave her for my haircut. But I also felt very different about the troubles and difficulties in my own life. Her story transformed my attitude to one of gratitude. I thought I should share it with someone as it may just do the same for you."
Merry Christmas, Brian
Comments