The Weekend

Monday, May 14, 2007

Current mood: grateful

I got a bit lonely Friday night, made a few phone calls to hear the voice of the famaliar...it was nice.

Saturday afternoon, my dad had his friend come over to teach me to dance Tango...that was a blast! It's a challenge but worth the work. Dancing is a hard sport, regardless if anyone thinks so or not, ha.

Then I meet up with my uncle, Leo, one of my mom's many brothers. I had last seen him when I was ten and we took a trip to Colombia, so I really haven't seen him for 10 years. I hadn't seen his wife, Gladis, and their kids (my cousins), Yoal and Karen since I was itty bitty...well no that's a lie. I saw Karen five years ago in my last visit...

Karen had since had gotten married and had a baby, she's a year older than me but that's not uncommon to do young here. She did have her baby three months premature but he's doing great and growing. Owen, his name, is so beautiful, and he smiles a lot. I fell in love with him right away, I love kids, I look forward to the next 6-7 years cause then I will consider having a family:)

Anywho, since Mother's Day was on Sunday, I got to see the way they celebrate it here. And honestly, it's a huge huge holiday here, as every holiday is. People spend all week to prepare for this day. There were parties everywhere, sales, malls stayed open all night, carnivals and everything. I have always been accustomed to giving my mom flowers, a card and going out to dinner, but there that's nothing compared to what they call El Dia De La Madre. All women, not just mothers, are valued. We went out to a mall, looked at bands playing, sales they were having. We got a bottle of Aguadriente, which is very typcial and popular liquor. It's clear, and it was smooth with a hint of tast of black licorce. But nothing like Sambuca, icky. And you take it neat with one big sip (not a shot really though), or mutliple sips. We played dominos and had a few drinks. After a couple hours, it started to wind down and everyone went to be except me and my uncle.

We continued to stay up till 230 am just talking. It was great! My mom always said he was a really good man, but I didn't realize how close they were growing up. And considering they were nine kids, that's pretty cool. He talked about my mom, and growing up. How much my mom did for him, and what she did for him, it's so good to hear that because it just goes to show how big my mom's heart has always been. We shared things that we both had in common growing up, which was crazy weird considering we both grew up in different eras and countries. He's an intelligent and simple man, he looks at life and sees it all, good and bad, as a blessing. He's patient with everything that he comes into contact with, he's had to work hard for his life and for his family. He made it clear that family, friends and the moments with them are all that matter in life, money buy materilistic things that can be replaced. Time can't be replaced.

His daughter, Karen, got married and had a baby young. But instead of being upset or disappointed like maybe some parents would do, he supported it from the beginning. He saw her as a woman who was going to have a family someday anyway, what was the difference with now and then? No regrets.

Sunday afternoon, we went to Gladis's sisters house with her family to have a dinner and celebrate mother's day. Her sisters were so sweet, they are both single mothers. One had been left with her two little girls by her husband so he could run off with another woman, the other had lost her husband just 7 months ago when he was killed by the Guerilla army, she was left with her 3 year old son. It's those kind of expiriences that make them strong, and you sense that strength in their presence.

I talked to my mom that afternoon, and realized how much I wish she was here. How much fun she's be having, how many people would love to see her, and how she would love to see them.

I look forward to seeing the rest of my family. Next weekend! :) I love how where you go, you are family.

TQM!