What Does it Mean?

"What does it mean when I don't know my own native language?"

 I feel like this statement really applies to me right now. I am taking Filipino 1a right now for the sole reason that I want to be able read and write in my native language. Growing I always could understand Filipino but I could never respond back. The older I grow, the more I realize how much of an asset it is to speak another language. I feel like by learning Filipino, I can possible build a bridge to the past and be able to share more with my grandparents. By being able to speak Filipino, I can pass down something to my children that will be more than just an heirloom. It will pass down a culture that my family has been preserving for many years.