SC-S29/W6 – Nostalgia Of The Little Me: A Childhood Story That Taught You Something

^{A dark and cruel experience}

It's a very sad episode, and it was when we lost the life we ​​had and had to start a new one, but far from our home, our family, far from my routine and my life itself.

A very traumatic experience, but one that also taught us so much, brought us closer together as a family, and is what keeps our faith stronger than ever.

^{In my Innocence, it didn't happen so much}

I was just turning 10! At that time, everything was happening, but being a child, I didn't know or understand, because my parents were the ones who faced everything. I need to give you some context so you understand better.

My parents were very hardworking. My mother was a biology teacher, and my father was a councilman in the municipality where we lived.

In 2017, security in Venezuela was nonexistent. It seemed like the country was controlled by thugs and vagrants; it was total chaos.

It was on May 3, 2017, when our lives changed because a group of armed criminals broke into our house (I was at school and didn't witness anything), but my parents and grandparents were home. They were subdued, and the criminals took everything they could carry: computers, appliances, and even clothes, along with my father's truck.

The situation wasn't so much the theft of the truck, but what came after: threats, blackmail, extortion. It was torture for my parents because they were carrying everything. Not content with robbing them, the criminals were even crueler, threatening to kidnap me. They couldn't report it, and on top of that, they had to give them more money.

We had no choice but to leave home, practically fleeing as if we were the criminals. I left behind my family, my grandmother and my sister who meant everything to me, my schools, and my friends—so many things that still hurt to this day. We lost everything my parents had worked so hard to build: their house, car, businesses, and all their savings.

^{The boy who matured through tough experiences}

When it all happened, I only knew part of the story: some thugs had broken into my house to rob us. At that moment, I felt a lot of anguish and terrible fear, especially because of the insecurity in the country at that time. Besides, I was a child, and I think fear was the only thing I could feel.

After the incident and learning the story behind everything that happened, I felt a strange mix of emotions. I was sad for everything we had lost, but I was also proud and felt completely safe because my parents had chosen to protect me above all else.

I felt anger toward the people who had taken our things. I felt very lonely because I had to leave and leave everything behind. I also had a lot of uncertainty about how we were going to start over. But above all, I began to feel faith and hope in my heart that things were going to change, and I was absolutely right because things did change. We were safe far away from all that evil, in an incredible home that has given me the best things in the world: love and companionship.

Sometimes, when memories of 2017 try to resurface, I prefer not to dwell on the fear or the sound of the guns I didn't see, but on what I learned while my world was falling apart. Those lessons are my armor today, and although the cost was high, they are mine and no one can take them away.

First, I learned that my parents' worth wasn't in what they had, but in what they did.

Today I understand that while I was in school, they were fighting a war for me. They lost their house, their car, and their savings, but they never lost sight of their goal, which was my life. That lesson in silent sacrifice taught me that love isn't spoken, it's shown by protecting what matters, even when you're left with nothing.

^{My parents, my superheroes}

I learned that things are just things. At 10 years old, I watched years of work disappear into a van or into the hands of strangers. It was hard, but that loss gave me a strange freedom, the freedom to know that I can start over anywhere. My home isn't an address on a map or a concrete roof; my home is the people who walk with me.

I learned about the resilience of letting go. Leaving behind my grandmother, my sister, and my friends was the hardest test of my childhood. It taught me that distance hurts, but that true bonds aren't broken by miles. I learned to love fiercely, knowing that life can change in a second, and that makes me value the "now" so much more.

Finally, I learned that I'm not a victim of my story, but a survivor. Fleeing didn't make us criminals, it made us brave. I learned that, in the face of injustice and the darkness of a country in chaos, there's always a way out if you maintain your integrity. The boy who left home in 2017 left his toys behind, but he took with him a strength that many never attain in a lifetime.

Today I don't remember to suffer; I remember to know what I'm made of.

Sometimes I think about how that blow we suffered when we were 10 years old made me who I am today. It's not that I dwell on the fear, but I realize that the experience changed my perspective on everything.

Today, I don't make a mountain out of a molehill. When I see people suffering over material things or minor problems, I remain calm. I learned the hard way that as long as there's life and we're together, everything else can be recovered. If I lost my home and loved ones as a child, I can withstand any obstacle life throws my way now.

I'm the kind of person who takes care of what's mine. I grew up watching my parents be the shield of the family, and that's something that's stayed with me. Today, I'm cautious, I like to be in control of my safety, and I protect the people I love as if they were my greatest treasure. I don't take anything for granted because I know the world can change in an afternoon.

^{The me of now with all the teachings I receive, the Oswaldo of the child}

I don't get attached to things, but to moments. I know that a truck or a television comes and goes. That's why today I prefer to invest my energy in feeling good, in a hug from my grandmother if she's nearby, or in a chat with my sister. What's in my head and what I feel is the only thing no one could steal from me that day.

I learned to start over without fear. That forced move took away my school and my friends, but it gave me the ability to adapt to any situation. I'm not afraid of the new, because I already know what it's like to survive chaos.

In the end, that 10-year-old boy didn't just lose things; he gained a strength that many people don't have. Today I walk with my head held high because I know where I come from and I know that, whatever happens, I'm going to be okay.

And that's all for now. I'd like to invite @pandora2010, @zulay7059, and @marianri to participate. Until next time!

All photos are my own, taken with my family album

This is me