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| Blest be the tie that binds: Family Last Forever! |
"I’m Just Sayin"
by Alan P. Scaglione
Birthdays—we can’t get older without them!
Two very special birthdays this week—first and foremost, “Happy Birthday America!” You stand for freedom for all- One Nation UNDER GOD!
For all of us who are second, third, fourth generation immigrants who came to a land with freedom of religion and speech- so glad you still are!
We all pause to pledge allegiance and say a prayer—May we always be “One nation Under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all!”
And for those who don’t love it anymore…there are planes leaving on the hour that will take you somewhere else!
And then there’s the “other” important birthday—Aunt Ciria turns 80 today!
She’s the first one in our Cabrera family to reach this goal— may happen in other families, but not ours.
Aunt Ciria is the third of five children born to Pedro and Teresa Cabrera, both first generation Americans.
She’s now the matriarch of our family—and this past Sunday, we gathered together to celebrate this milestone!
It’s the only way we could surprise her—one week early!
And she was! She smiled ear to ear while shedding a few tears of joy.
She looked at me and said, “All these people are here just for me?”
I told her, “Look around—they all took time to come by and show how much they love and appreciate you!”
That’s when she cried….crocodile tears!
She’s had her tough times, dealing with TB and spending some of her teenage years in a TB Hospital.
For those too young to know what TB is… It’s tuberculosis, a disease that attacks and affects the lungs.
Those were sad years for her—away from her family; but, it was also where she met the love of her life: Uncle Willard!
She told me once, “I haven’t had a good life, but I have had good moments!”
As I looked around at cousins, 2nd, 3rd and 4th, each taking time to show respect to our matriarch, I realized…
This may be the last time we ever get together like this. She is the reason we have come together—who can evoke that, once she’s gone?
Families don’t gather much anymore—it’s sad but true. In our hurry world of twitter, facebook and skype, we rarely physically see each other.
Our kids aren’t growing up around their cousins and aunts and uncles. Gotta wonder? Who will check on me like I check on her?
It’s just not how we do things anymore.
Today, for her: we gathered and talked and laughed and reminisced and answered age old “family tree” questions.
All because someone we know and love is turning 80!
Aunt Ciria sat in front of her 80 cupcakes (yes—one for each year), with her granddaughter Ginger and daughter Belinda, holding great-grandsons Dawson and Fisher, beaming! She even sang the words “Happy Birthday to ME” as her extended family and friends serenaded her with Happy Birthday!
She thanked us for taking the time out of our busy lives to visit her today.
And we all felt a collective sense of guilt over not visiting or calling her as often as we should because…we are all so busy. Maybe a little too busy?
You see…Aunt Ciria doesn’t have facebook, so we can’t “friend” or “IM” her and share our latest vacation pictures or some quote we heard at work.
She’s part of a dying breed—the “stop by and see me” generation!
But today…she gave us the best present…she gave us a reason to gather and share a moment with this immigrant family of ours—
All proud of our heritage, proud of our country, proud to be “Aunt Ciria’s american family!”
She told me when we left, “today, I made a memory that’ll last a lifetime!”
Little did she know…so had we!
Until next time,
I’m Just Sayin’…
Brother “A”
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