My parents were in awe. They could not get over the fact that so many people—total strangers!—could believe in them like that, could look at them and decide, Hey, I don’t know you, but I believe in you. I believe in your dream. And put crisp green bills into their tired, blistered hands. One stranger after another, flesh and bones that looked into their eyes and said yes, when time and time again, they looked at themselves and said no.
