AT AGE 5, MY TWO OLDER SIBLINGS AND I BECAME ORPHANS BUT PROMISED EACH OTHER TO FULFILL OUR PARENTS’ DREAM. My parents died in a car accident when I was 5 years old. My brother was 9, and my sister was 7. My parents owned a small café in town, but it was drowning in debts and loans. After they passed, the café and our house were both sold to cover the debts. In a matter of weeks, we lost everything—our home, our parents, our sense of safety. We ended up in a foster home, confused and heartbroken. That’s when I realized the true power of brotherly and sisterly love. My brother ate less so my sister and I could have more. Even at 7, my sister tried to take care of us, helping wash our clothes with her tiny hands. Then one night, my brother gathered us in our room, eyes determined despite the fear in them. “Mom and Dad had a dream,” he started firmly. 
Here’s a shorter version of your story that keeps the heart and meaning intact: When I was five, everything changed in one night. One moment, […]
