Natasha Chan
Chicago, ILIf Not For Us, Then Save it For Them
Digital
Growing up, I lived in my grandmother’s home. Her walls were covered with photos, memories, and accolades of me and our other family members.
Hanging above my childhood bed was an old art project of my uncle’s from college - a baby photo of me in the center with the words “if not for us, then save it for them” engulfing me.
When I asked what this meant or why she decided to keep this piece in my room, she always just said “I love looking at you.”
Though several decades have passed since living in that room, I can still see that photo and those words so clearly in my head, and it’s a phrase I will forever associate with my grandmother.
She, like so many other Asian elders, put our family and her loved ones before herself. From working countless odd jobs so food was always on the table - to staying up until midnight doing laundry and chores so the house was clean - to giving away all the fruit in her garden - she has always saved the best things in life for others.
She provided when she had no one else to turn to, and stayed strong in the darkest days. She worked tirelessly to be her own hero, but she will always be mine.
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