What moves you??

This June I am nearing the 20th year mark since I moved (somehow "moved" does not seem to fully describe the treacherous travel North) to the U.S. There are days when I feel numb. I feel that somehow time stopped and I'm still that 15 year old teen yearning for a better life along his family. I'm well over 15 years old now and the everyday demands from life spare me no time. Like everyone else, I have to work to pay bills, taxes, etc. etc. Once again I ask myself the question, what moves me?

I've asked this question over, again, and again. I always come up short and empty handed. I still don't know what "it" is. Last year I had a glimpse of hope, when the Obama administration was taking over the White House, I thought, this is "it". For a moment, I thought, this is the moment student Dreamers, hard working undocumented workers, mixed-families and anyone in fear of deportation, have been waiting for. Time and politics have proved the contrary. Politics have become so polarized that any hope there ever existed about passing CIR seems dimmer by the day.

So, what moves me? Well, despite the fact that I've lived here for almost 20 years and I'm still undocumented, "it" is knowing that there are days when I come to work and by the grace of learning a second language, I can use my empathy and advocacy skills helping others. More than once, I have helped families fight to remain together, gathering evidence on the negative effects a family separation would conjure for their loved ones. This seems ironic, because I too can one day become separated from my loved ones; unless CIR is passed.

What moves me, is knowing that there's someone out there who, like me, will find "it" in his/her heart and finally do the right thing. For us, for them, for everyone.