The People of Hope

Last night when I accompanied my sister to take my niece to the hospital I realized that being a parent is so much more than just playing or being funny to make them laugh when they’re crying. Being a parent is a 24/7 thing, especially in the early months and even more when they are sick. I saw my sister carrying my niece (she didn’t want to go with me) for three hours until a doctor saw my niece and it was only because she got purple and stopped breathing. Saying that it was terrifying doesn’t do it justice, my heart literally stopped, everything happened so fast.

It was in the time that I had to stay outside that I met this young lady with her son and daughter. She was waiting to be admitted because her son was very ill and when she saw what happened to my niece she began to cry. Being the small hospital that it was, people just seemed to bond out of a mixture of fear, hope and nostalgia. She told me how she had a son who got like that while she was pregnant with the little one she was holding. He died in her arms, and then it was everyone comforting everyone.

It was a weird feeling but we all seemed to be there for one another. Everyone in that tiny waiting room suddenly started to swap stories as to why they were there or past experiences. You see so much in an emergency room, so much. You get to see just about every human emotion from the happiest to the most heart breaking. It was the parents that really got me thinking about what it really means to be a parent. It seems almost as if being a parent gives you some kind of superhuman strength, and some parents are truly ones to be admired.

In the end my niece was released in the middle of the night, many of the people we met were still there waiting. As soon as we walked out they rushed over like any family member would, and wished my niece and my sister the very best. With their blessings and heartfelt stories we went on our way home, and blessed we were with my niece’s recovery. Something that has always bewildered me is how much support and familiarity you can find in a stranger, this one is for all those wonderful people we met for they are a real testament of hope.

Smile, there may be someone who might just need to see one to believe again.

Easter: Meet the Family

I still remember the first time I really walked into my boyfriend’s house, alone. It was last Summer when his mom invited me over to get to know me more, I was so nervous. There was much more to that visit, there was a connection and she helped me get through my mini depression episode that I had when our young man left to the service. It was her, her daughter and I sitting in that living room with a box full of pictures. Within the minute I walked in I felt at home, they didn’t look down on me, they didn’t make me feel like a stranger, I was like family.

Over the last couple of months they’ve given me the chance to meet the whole family in a more intimate way and I’ve been so thankful for that opportunity. It’s very nice to be able to go over when our young man is away, spend time with the family. Today my family got together to celebrate Easter with a small BBQ and an egg hunt for the kids, even pool time and they asked me to invite my boyfriend’s family to join us.

Honestly, I was scared. Knowing how my family is, they are very shy and my mom rarely has a conversation longer than a minute. Mostly, I was scared that our families would shy away from each other or not get along because of language and such. I was a bit scared to do this on my own without my boyfriend around. In the end, it turned out to be a great success!

Yes, our families got along so well I was shocked! My brother was shocked to see my mom talk for hours and hours, my nieces and nephews got along with my boyfriend’s siblings, and his family met my whole family even my sister’s-in-law’s family. I’ve got a big smile on my face, couldn’t ask for more than two see harmony between our families. The best part? It wasn’t even about my boyfriend and I, it was about all the things they all have in common; we just happened to be the connection.

Smile, sometimes you fear the worst only to have the best happen.

Its A Bird! Its A Plane! Its A Shooting Star!

     Its that time of the year again! The Perseids are here! If there is a reason to like summer (which I don’t fancy very much) is the Perseids.

Photo on National Geographic, taken by Siddhartha Saha

So what exactly is/are the Perseids? Its a meteor shower that happens around this time each year (some years better than others). Its one of the good ones, there’s also another meteor shower in Decemeber (also spectacular) but for those who like the cold weather. Unfortunately the moon will be out these days so the show wont be as spectacular as one would hope it would be. There’s still hope! I usually go out either way (hey its good to go outside you know) because every now and then you’ll catch a glimpse of some beautiful shooting stars, especially around the peak times. (You can always Google that stuff).

As always don’t forget to make your wishes! Take something warm too, cause nights get chilly. Enjoy a lovely night with some hot cocoa, a friend, your sweetie (I wish mine was here * sniffles *) or family! I hope that everyone that gets to see the Perseids will have a great experience.

Smile, make a wish!

The Change of Life

  Sometimes I go outside while the sun begins to set. Its one of my favorite times of the day. Its almost as if nature takes on the role of the Impressionist artists and begins to use the land and sky as a canvass.

I stand there looking at the mountain range, a spectacular view of colors. The perfect blending and lighting in all its glory. That red orange color blending in with the blues in the sky, the in between purples and yellows so carefully in balance. The mountains looking like sleeping giants in the horizon, grandiose in all their enormous existence. Oh how beautiful they look with all their wrinkled and folded bodies, exerting their dominance over the valley.

The sun slowly going down to the West, the colors changing, blending, producing a picturesque show of color and lighting. The rays of the sun softly bouncing off the giants, and colors turning into deeper shades. Slowly the reds, the oranges and the yellows begin to fade away. A slow yet beautiful change, the change of life. The light begins to dim with every passing minute as the Sun hides under the sea. Darkness begins to prevail, the eyes of the night slowly appear in the dark fabric above our heads. They await for the Sun to submerge itself completely before blinking wildly down on us.

What a beautiful change, the change of life. Yet how I long to be a witness of that change not by myself but with someone else. To share those moments when the Earth rotates, just the two of us while the rest of the world concentrates in motion we can pretend to be motionless as we watch the world pass by. So please hurry home my love, because there’s just so much I want to share and witness with you.

Smile, pretend to be motionless.