Reyna Grande’s The
Distance Between Us gave me a unique perspective on the millions of
families that are separated by the borders of countries. Usually, I am not a
fan of memoir, but this work read like a novel. I used it to wind down after a twelve-hour
day of caring for patients and get inside someone else’s world. I found that I
related strongly to Grande’s older sister Mago as she struggled between
balancing her role as “little mother” and succumbing to the emotions brought on
by their parent’s absence.
As a young child, I did not experience any prolonged
separation from my own parents, but I did often find myself in the role of “little
mother” for the younger members of my family. Through reading this novel, I was
reminded quite often of the times that I spent battling my emotions in the
pursuit of being a good role model for my younger cousins.
As a result of the experience gained from reading The Distance Between Us, I was able to
gain a new perspective on what it means to be a role model. Being the oldest of
the generation, I never had anyone to look up to for an example. I tried very
hard to do the best I could for the younger kids, but I never understood how
important my actions were to them.
It is quite obvious that Reyna held Mago very highly.
Through this, I was able to come to the revelation that my younger cousins held
me in the same light. I spent a lot of time reflecting on the events that
transpired between the sisters after I had closed the book for the evening and
wondering how I might have reacted if placed in some of the situations they
faced. The Distance Between Us was
not simply a good read; it was a thought provoking, introspective experience.
This journal was very insightful, some things I had not thought of when reading this. I love how you put the allusion of Mago being the the "little mother" referencing to her as having to take care of everyone since her mother is absent. I enjoyed your quote "succumbing to the emotions brought on by their parent's absence" (Bennett). I had to look up the word succumbing which i found to mean a fail to resist. This quote brings to light the fact that these children where living without a mother or father for the time being and that would be hard on any child forcing someone to step up to the plated become the "little mother."
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed hearing your thoughts on this piece. You had great ideas about Mago being the "little mother", and how you connected the plot of the story to your own life.
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