I’ve had two people to show me what life is about and the type of person I want to be. They gave me a reason to list them as heroes on my MySpace. They are my parents. My parents truly make two halves of a whole; though my father has passed away, my mother is continuing their dynamic team, showing me the right path.

When my father was alive, he worked hard to provide for us. Like many parents, he and my mother wanted me and my sister to have the best education and opportunities in life. After school and on the weekends, my parents would teach us math, history, and even spelling. They showed us the value of education and how without it we’d have nothing.

As the vice president of a large theme park in China, my father realized that many important people in the company were corrupt and stealing money from the corporation. He was faced with a crossroad: he could have done the wrong thing like everyone else and made a lot of money, but he chose to do the right thing by being honest – and he lost his job. The whole company was corrupt and I believe my father knew the risk he took in telling the truth, but he did it anyway. He showed me that it is important to do the right thing and tell the truth.

My father died when I was eight. He had a heart condition caused by his smoking. After he died, my mother had to handle the bills and take care of everyone. She took charge and didn’t let her emotions get in the way. Before she took care of herself, she cared for everyone else. She made sure that my sister and I did well in school, had clothes on our backs and plenty to eat. Many people pitied us for our loss. My sister’s grades dropped, but mine didn’t. Like my mother, I wanted to be strong. I kept telling myself that people would only feel sorry for me if I gave them reason to. I became an adult at the age of eight, serious and goal-minded. I wanted to grow up and take care of my mother so she wouldn’t have to struggle. I blamed myself for all the adversities in our lives. My mother told me that I wasn’t the cause of our struggles and no one was to blame.

I still think of giving up sometimes, but then I remember everything my family has been through and all the things my parents have taught me. What I have learned from my father and mother is what keeps me going. I want to become successful and provide for my mother. My parents might not always be with me physically, but the lessons they have taught me will forever live in me. They will always be my heroes, because they taught me how to be a good person. They might not know this, but by being my parents, they’ve given me the world.