life changes

This is a little video we put together for my stepson before he left for army basic training today. While it was not a surprise that he was joining the military, we did not expected to have only 11 days with him between the time time he signed his contract and left. We tried to make the most of our time and squeeze in every little minute with the boy we know before he grows up to a man in the hands of US Army.

There were laughs and tears, plenty of memories revisited, advices, encouragement and reassurance flowing as we prepared ourselves to say good bye. We felt the strength of the love that binds us together, gentle and sweet, but also solid and unbreakable.

He left this morning.

And so it is, life changes on you, no matter what. And as long as love stays intact we can deal with the changes, being able to readjust and readapt. A new chapter is being now written, and my prayer is that God keeps our boy safe and secure in his hands. Godspeed, Matt!

father and son

from mom, with love

My mom is an amazing woman.  A widow at age of 39, she single-handedly raised four children and never remarried.  Years later she had to adjust to the fact that three of her children- me included - chose to live abroad,  away from home.

 As she struggled with her new reality, she was encouraged by her doctor to take on a hobby to keep her occupied and distracted. She took on cross-stitching, crochet and other variations of hand embroidering.

 The result was a wealth of kitchen linens for us. Every time we meet, either here or there, she presents my sisters and I with at least half a dozen of them.  They are inestimable gifts to us, not only beautifully made but also crafted with much love.

The amazing part is that in her struggle to accept that we are far apart she found a way to bring us closer. She works on these little pieces of art thinking of us and we, in return, look at them and think dearly of her.

Danny and Annie

This is such a  beautiful story by StoryCorps of a  real couple looking back on their twenty-seven year relationship while dealing with the reality of cancer. October is our anniversary month, which makes me look back to the years to see how our relationship has progressed and also wonder about what the future holds for us. Their story touches my heart because it shows that reality doesn't exclude romance. It is sweet and sad and so inspiring!