 Isabela, belleza, I’ve been thinking about what to write you now that you're finally a young adult, 18 years old. What came to mind was a promise that I made you when you were 6 or 7...
_“IsaDaPizza” I asked you yesterday, “tell me about your attributes?” After a pause you responded, “I am creative and motivated… sometimes, lol.” Yes, señorita you are motivated, you have the resolve and when you set your mind on something, you won’t settle until you achieve it. Creative, no doubt about it. Your visual perspective of the world is unique and you have managed to bank on it. ;) But you are a lot more: You are resilient with a great sense of humor, you know how to fall, dust it off and laugh at yourself. You are kind and proud. Empathy is your strongest attribute, you have the gift of understanding and feeling with others, the gift of picking up dogs from the street and caring for them. You know your self-worth which is key to success in anything. However, your pride could come across as ungracious; always be mindful of others and stay true to yourself, like you always have been. When asked about your attributes, you also replied that you are an intuitive young lady... _10 years ago, in the middle of the afternoon, I was walking out of the house, your mother and I had just finished having an argument --at that time, your parent’s relationship was going through tough times. While walking to the car, I encountered you as you were walking into the house, at that moment, you asked me “Mauchy, are you and mama getting divorced?” I saw in your big beautiful eyes sadness and sorrow --I felt like I had been punched in my guts so hard that I couldn’t breath, and it took me a few seconds to respond, “gorgeous, I promise you, that your mother and I will be together until you turn 18 or graduate from high school.” That instant your eyes lightened and felt at ease. Instantly, I turned around and marched into our home, with the command to make our marriage work, to keep our family together. So, Isabela Fraga-Abaza now that you turned 18, like I promised you, your mother and I are still together; your intuition was the catalyst of a great family relationship. Thank you, thank you… thank you. Gorgeous, never lose the curiosity, follow your instincts and know when to take a break, to slow down, this is just the beginning of a great life; enjoy your adulthood. We love you. I hope that you teared up. Peace out. :)
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 On Sunday, while laying down before going to sleep, I could feel that Nesrin was restless. She had a very busy week ahead, quietly, she was organizing her plan of attack, not knowing if she would be able to accomplish it all.
Anyway, while typing on the computer and without raising my head I said, “talk to your mother, she will guide you.” She turned to me with a puzzled face. _ As a kid I was raised by my Catholic grandparents and attended a conservative Catholic school, but I never followed the “church customs.” I was never a ‘religious’ person but I was always a ‘spiritual’ one. Meaning: a religious person follows traditions and participates in the rituals advocated by their respective faiths. Being spiritual but not religious means you do not need a church or an organized religion to live a life of faith. It has nothing to do with being a good or a bad person. _ When any of us is getting ready to embark on an adventure, I always remind them to not forget to pray. I’m not reminding them to repeat a memorized prayer, one that has been already programmed in their subconscious, not fully aware of the words being recited or its meaning; I’m reminding them to talk to the saints. What do I mean by saints? I’m not talking about church saints, Saint Peter or Saint Paul, I’m talking about our saints, our angels; the people that have been part of our lives, people that we cared about and were kind and protective of us; people that we love but sadly have passed away. So when I told Nesrin to talk to her mother or remind our kids to pray, I am asking them to speak from their hearts to the people that they cared about, like her mother, their grandparents or my dear Abuelita; to call on them for guidance, for wisdom and for strength. Keep in mind, our loved ones are always listening and watching over us. They are the Saints above! By Friday, Nesrin had a very successful week and was feeling at ease. Peace out :)  The past 2 years at home, have been very stormy. The majority of storms caught us by surprise --one after another.
As a family we quickly understood we were not capable of controlling the weather, instead we had the endurance to make it through the storms. So what did we learn from it:
When as a family you stay united and true to your principles, you create a strength that is stronger than any storm! As my daughter always says: "Peace out :)"  It’s 8:30 am and while sitting on a traffic light, I saw this gentleman getting his sign and chair ready; organizing and setting up his work station. He had a clean cut, he is in his mid 50s and appears to be an immigrant. Without doubt he is a beggar but clearly, he is not a bum; he has a job and a work schedule, and yes, he did arrive to work on time.
Anyway, while sitting at the stop light, watching him settling in, I took a couple of bucks out of my pocket and said “sir, here is something for you to begin your day…” He smiled at me and moved along. I thought, this fellow, like many of us, has managed to arrive to this country looking for a better life, but he has not yet mastered the English language. Thirty years ago, while paying my way through school, I used to be a door-to-door encyclopedia salesman. At that time, my English was “weak” (being too generous), and my experience as a sales person was none, but I did have the right attitude and determination to succeed. Every morning, 6 days a week, I will show up to work at 8 am, and knock on the first door of my route by 8:05. Most mornings I would get mainly rejections, and more brush-offs I kept getting more demotivated with each rejection. Yet, some mornings, when I was inspired :) I was able to close a deal on my first stop; this early sale was the key for a profitable day, it gave me the momentum needed to do great all day. So today when I saw this gentleman getting ready to go to battle, I decided to give him a small push, some momentum to begin the day. Sometimes, we all need a little push… |
Who I am today as a person is largely due to my failures! Archives
January 2024
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