Ruby's Wish

All day my daughter begged and pleaded with me to read her a book, and after much begging I gave in and got off the computer and sat down with my beautiful children and read them a book. As I sat down and read the first book I felt great, like a wonderful and loving mom, so I decided to read a second book titled, "Ruby's Wish" about a little girl who liked to go to school even though little girls back in China weren't really allowed too, she excelled and made her grandfather proud, until one day she wrote a poem about how boys were luckier because they got to do better things, when her grandfather asked her why she wrote it, she replied that boys were able to go to university. Years pass by and finally she knows it is time for her to marry and she dreads that she can not go to university, when on that Chinese New Year her grandfather gave her a letter that said she was accepted to university as one of the first girls ever! The story ended with the fact that it was a true story and showed a picture of her grandmother(Ruby). Could I cry more? Or be more blessed that my children have the chances to do so much with out half the effort or prejudice? Or maybe, I could just feel more shame, that despite my best intentions I never lived up to the dreams I held so dear? I was raised in a unhealthy environment to say the least but I always expected to do more, to be better, to rise above my situation and triumph, But instead I was pregnant by 16 and married as well. So I lower my head in shame and use my insecurities as a wall. So when I read this story I am inspired and genuinely happy that my girls could read this and get such a good moral out of it and I want to thank the writer for making such a lovely book and yet on the other hand I want to crawl in the deepest darkest corner and stay there. All this over a children's story.