Tag: United States

Melting Pot

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We are a nation of immigrants. I’m proud to say that I’m an immigrant as well. I came to The USA in 1976 and I thank God everyday for bringing me here. My aunt Blanca came here in the 1960’s and established herself with a job as a secretary in Chicago; once she was settled in she began to work on helping  many of her brothers and sisters come here with their families. My aunt Blanca is one of my one personal heroes because if it wasn’t for her starting the whole process, I don’t know if I would be here today.

Another personal hero of mine is my uncle in whose house I grew up. He came to the USA in 1968 with his new wife. He was a young doctor in Colombia and he gave it all up to come live here. He followed his sister Blanca to Chicago; his first winter here was rough; coming from a tropical climate like Colombia, he had to endure the great Chicago blizzard of ’68. Not only that, he had to really start over career wise; he would go to night school to learn English and in the day time he had to work hard to pass his tests in order to get his MD licence so he could practice medicine here in the US.

My uncle had made a very comfortable life for himself by the time I came to live with him and his family. 2 years after I arrived, he joined the Air Force. THAT was so amazing to me. He chose to give back to this great country of ours by serving in the armed forces and I have always been very proud of him for that. I don’t know of too many people who would give up their comfortable life style, an established medical private practice and all if its accoutrements  to serve in the military like this special man did. He gave back to a country that gave him almost everything.

So today I salute my family members who have served and are  still serving in the military: Uncle Frank, Mireya (sister), Diego (brother), Kelli, Tracy (brother-in-law), Frank (cousin), Joe (father- in- law, deceased), Kristina (Niece), Larry (brother-in-law), David, Don Sr. ( deceased ).

I also salute and thank all of my friends who are currently serving and who have served this great land of ours in the past. I can’t name them all because they are too numerous to name..you know who you are! Thank you for being the brave men and women that you are who keep this country free from the claws of oppression. God bless you and your families always!

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 10

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Please refer back to my earlier posts and read what this challenge is about so that the later posts make sense. :)

Day 10 Question 10: What was the most mischievous thing you can recall doing as a child?

Answer: This memory always makes me chuckle because I really didn’t like my cousin I had to grow up with. He was always mean to me, so it felt good when this happened. We were vacationing in the south of Spain. My uncle was in the Air Force so while we were stationed in Germany, every summer we traveled around in Spain.

We had stayed the night in Rosas

 

a tiny, picturesque beach town. Tio (Uncle) had us get up around 5 am so we could get an early start. I was ready to go and when I knocked on my uncle’s hostel room door he told me to get the others up. My cousin was with me so we went to knock on the door of the friends we were traveling with. I  knocked on the door several times and nothing happened. So I walked away leaving my cousin there, who was still half asleep.

I went back into my room to get my belongings and then I heard a huge commotion. I poked my head out and there was an elderly man standing outside the door I had just knocked on. He was blasting my cousin out in French. I froze for a minute not getting the full picture. Then suddenly I understood what I’d done. I let my cousin take the fall and I was giggling like crazy. The upset French man slammed the door in my cousin’s face right when I walked up. My cousin looked at me in total bewilderment and I never explained to him what had just happened. Payback is hell baby!

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 7

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Please refer back to my earlier posts and read what this challenge is about so that the later posts make sense. :)

Day 7 Question 7: As a youngster, whose house did you always look forward to visiting?

Answer: My Abuelita (Grandma) Isabel’s house was the best place ever! She would always greet me with a kiss and a hug and then she’d press a $2 bill into my hand. She would tell me to spend it or save it; now that those $2 notes aren’t around, I wish I would have kept them. She was a seamstress and there were times when I’d sit by her sewing table watching her work; she’d tell me all of the stories of all the dogs she had owned when she lived in Colombia. Her two favorite canines were named Trambia, after the street cars that had just come to Bogota; and Nylon, after the popular lady’s fashion accessory of her day.

"Eje Ambiental" on Bogota Downtown, ...
Image via Wikipedia Bogota

At times Abuelita would tell me stories of my father; he was her youngest of 11 children. I learned a lot about him through these brief times of sharing.

Abuelita Isabel had a sweet tooth bar none. She would keep a tin of cookies, Lemon Coolers were her favorite. Once I entered her bedroom she’d give me a few from her cookie tin which she kept close to her night stand. At other times she would sit in her easy chair in the living room eating Tootsie Rolls and drinking glass after glass of water. To this day, when I eat candy, I wash it down with a big glass of water.

I always hated going home after spending time in Abeulita’s house; because her home and presence gave me comfort. Things were cold in the home I grew up in.At Abuelita’s house the whole atmosphere was warm and welcoming, much like the afghans she crocheted for her 32 grand children…I still have mine and on the coldest of nights I take it out and wrap myself in it, still feeling her warm embrace. 

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 6

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Please refer back to my earlier posts and read what this challenge is about so that the later posts make sense. :)

Day 6 Question # 6

What is one family vacation you have never taken but would still love to take one day?

Answer: This one was easy! I dream of taking my 4 kids to Colombia because that’s where I was born. I left  Colombia when I was 6 years old and I want my kids to see where I came from.I love Colombian food; there are fruits in Colombia such as cherimoyas,( also known as Custard Apple and Bullock Heart)

mamoncillos (Spanish Lime),

Curuba, found only in Colombia (Passion Fruit),  

 

and other exotic fruits that you can’t find in the U.S. so easily. If you do luck up and find some, they are either too expensive or they never ripen properly. That would be one of the main reasons to go there with my kids, so they can experience Colombian culture. The picture below is my birth place, Medellin.

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 4

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Please refer back to my earlier posts and read what this challenge is about so that the later posts make sense. 🙂

Day 4 Question #4: What is the greatest compliment you’ve ever been paid?

Answer: In the early ’90’s I worked at a museum in Atlanta. The museum director, Lillian and I got along great. One day she asked me to do something extra in order to promote the museum. She told me I had the option to say no and that would be fine too. Lillian asked me if I would make an exhibit using flowers to enter in the Atlanta Flower Show.

Midtown Atlanta, Piedmont Park
Image via Wikipedia

I was taken aback at first since I didn’t consider myself a “pro” at working with flowers. Then I thought about how I had worked with flower arrangements at home so I figured I’d give it a try. The job was to make  an arrangement that resembled the burning of Atlanta during the Civil War. Once I accepted the challenge Lillian stood back and looked at me then she said,” Wow! You’re simply amazing!” I laughed as I asked her,” What do you mean?” The comment caught me by surprise. Then my boss said,” I have never met someone who exudes so much self confidence. It’s almost as if you can do anything that comes your way, because you never let anything or anyone get in your way.” THAT, blew me away because at the time I didn’t think much of myself. I thanked her as we hugged and I went off to plan the exhibit. Words like that stay with a person 🙂

Just Show Up

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Have you ever been in a place in your life where you’re not exactly sure where you’re supposed to be? During my teen years I was a high school student. Then in my twenties it was college and after I graduated came marriage and becoming a parent. My roles were clearly defined, that same pattern continued into my 30’s. Now that I’m in my 40’s the roles are beginning to change on me.

My kids are growing up and I find myself having more time to pursue my own dream and goals. Having older kids doesn’t mean they don’t depend on me anymore; now they depend on me differently. When they were smaller it was easy helping them fix a broken toy, bandaging a sore knee and just being there period. Now they have problems to which I have no pat answer for . They get older and suddenly are seeing that mom and dad are pretty limited and human.

I visited a good friend of mine in San Antonio Texas 2 summers ago. He is a musician and I wanted to know how he figured out what direction to go with his career. At that point I was completely clue less regarding which path I wanted to take next. The way he put it was so simple and yet it stuck with me. Luis just said to me, ” I keep an open mind, I hear about events for net working and I just show up.” That was it, I adopted that way of thinking and do you know what it’s done for me? I have become more open minded and willing to try out new paths which before, I would have never even considered.

In order to do that though, you have to be willing to let go and not try  to control things so much.  Sometimes you have to be willing to lose yourself in order to be found.

REACH

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The Newsboys perform Saturday, June 30 at Crea...
Image via Wikipedia

My youngest daughter recently performed a Lyrical Dance to Peter Furler’s song “REACH” at a church. Sometimes God will use a child to reach out to you and I believe this video will bless you and encourage you to keep reaching out to a God who really cares about you and loves you; no matter where you’ve been or what you’ve done. Reach, keep on reaching and NEVER give up hope.

J.O.W.K. (journal of an over worked kid)

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Dear Diary,

I can’t believe it! I go to a dance studio 7 , yes SEVEN days a week. I am taking ballet, jazz, hip hop, tap, ball room,lyrical, voice lessons and piano lessons. I go to school for 8 hours a day and then I’m in the studio 4 hours after school. Not only that, I am part of the competition team and we train everyday. I almost regret the day I showed my mom I could dance; there was a song on the radio, I was 2 and I had just taken my first few steps earlier that week. My mom came in my room and she freaked out when she saw me shaking my booty and singing along to “Hit Me Baby” by Britney Spears .

So the next day she signed me up for dance lessons at a dance studio not too far from our home. I have to admit, at first all the attention was fun. The costumes I had to wear for my first recitals were pretty cute too and I felt like a princess in a fairy tale.

It’s been 14 years since that day when my mom discovered I had some talent and I am past fed up. My mom doesn’t really have a life of her own; I almost feel that she’s living her dreams of being a performer through me and I resent her for it everyday. She has gotten really demanding lately because she thinks I’m being lazy; when in fact I have lost some of the flexibility I had when I was younger, due to my body changing and maturing. So now she’s suggested I take diet pills to control my appetite. I hate where I am in my life and go to sleep dreaming of the day when I can walk away from all of this chaos and just be a normal kid.

So I’m posting this video, my friends and I made it. It’s a spoof that describes how I feel inside but I’m afraid to tell my mom. 

Talk to you later…thanks for listening, I’m glad someone does,

Jolette ❤

TFCL (talk from the clothes line)

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Mattina Buon Dio, ( Good morning God/ Italian)

 The sun is shining so brightly that as the singer says, ” I gotta wear shades.” I need you to be my Counselor right now. Of all the roles you play in my life, Counselor is one of my favorites because You never lead me wrong. Your advice is always spot on!

My family is grieved by a relative who is neglectful; he reasons that since he was neglected as a child, then the rest of us around him should pay and pay and pay.

Neglect-  Fail to care for or attend to properly. Habitual lack of care.

ne- Latin for NOT

glect- to choose, pick up

When we study the word neglect and break it down, we see that neglect is a CHOICE. I have had many close friends advise me that perhaps this relative of mine just doesn’t have the tools to care for properly for others. I disagree because this person certainly possesses the ability to care for his own person and might I add, he excels at taking care if his own needs.

Just for an example the other day we all wanted to go shopping; I normally hate this activity but that day I was in the mood. My relative refused to go and so we never went. The next day when we were all exhausted from having been very busy the day before, my relative decided that NOW was the time to go shopping and so off we went. Later on when we confronted him about the spite (definition of spite- malicious ill will prompting an urge to humiliate) everyone felt while we were in the store, he just smirked as he gave himself a congratulatory pat on the back. I was done.

 If you are reading this and you live with someone who fits the description above,you should know a couple of things: Proverbs 3:27 Don’t withhold good from someone entitled to it, when you have in hand the power to do it.

When someone holds back from doing good to you, that is evil; the opposite is true as well.

Proverbs 12:10 …but the mercies of the wicked are cruel. When a significant someone in your life willfully and habitually neglects you, that is cruel. There is no excuse for that. Remember the Golden Rule: Treat others the way you want to be treated. Do good to others when it’s called for and the same shall be done unto you.

Thanks for hearing me God, I’m so glad you never neglect me!

Parleremo di nuovo presto!

Mirror, Mirror…

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I look into the mirror and what do I see?

A new creation

the old has been swept away into the sea-

of forgetfulness.

I have a new role to fill;the old one is obsolete,

it has been swept away

into the sea of forgetfulness,

nothing new exists there,only the old.

I look into the mirror and what do I see?

A new creation who trusts in You more than before.

It’s not a blind trust but a quiet certainty.

a steadfast determination from way deep inside;

a knowing You’ll see me through.

Gone are the old worries, fears and tears,

they tried so long to alienate and annihilate my soul.

Now I know for sure you have it all under control.

From my inception

came so much corruption and deception-

the worst of my enemies.

They fought hard to keep me blind and hopeless.

My blind guides led me to a pit of distress.

 The past has no eyes.

Looking back there for direction is  useless.

The past is an old sage holding up signs,

warning me of the paths I’ve tread on before

and reminding me those I should now avoid.

From my past I only take the good:

memories to warm and comfort,

 on my journey forward.

On my left and right my two loyal friends-

HOPE and FAITH.

During the worst of times

 I hoped against Hope,

while Faith carried me on her strong shoulders.

Before God builds a new creation,

He sweeps away the old debris.

A new foundation must rest upon solid new ground.

He doesn’t search in the rubble or debris,

those He cast into the sea.

A single cornerstone He saves:

My Faith.

Up ahead I see  brighter days.

God never REBUILDS;

for to re- anything is a do over,

from a pre-existing plan.

 The Master Builder employs  His own blue print:

THE ORIGINAL!

Mirror, Mirror on the wall,

I see me no longer

fearful, worried or angry.

 Mirror, Mirror on the wall,

 I like the new me…

I  smile at myself and I’m standing tall!

 

Eva Santiago Copyright 2011