Visiting My Parents

Last month I traveled alone to the U.S. to visit my parents while Jorge stayed in Mexico with his family.  At home in North Carolina, my mom had surgery on her foot in early November.  We were both really thankful that I was able to come and spend a month with her and help her during her recovery time.  Thank the Lord, her surgery went well and she is recuperating according to schedule.  We hope and pray that her foot heals well and that the surgery proves to be a success. 

In early December I was able drive down to Florida to visit my dad.  In July of last year he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer and unfortunately his prognosis doesn't look very good.  He did a round of radiation and now he continues on chemotherapy.  I hadn't seen him in a year so when I saw him for the first time since his diagnosis, he had lost about 100 pounds since the last time we were together.  It was quite a shock to see the toll this illness and the treatment has taken on him!  He is having a hard time and not feeling well at all but he is hanging in there and fighting the fight!



Dad and I.


After I got back to NC, my mom and I went out to my grandmother's grave site.  It was the first time I had been home since she passed away a year ago.  We had planned to go in November but never made it and it turned out that the day we were finally able to make the trip out to the country was the first anniversary of her passing which we both thought was perfect timing! 


Mom and me visiting MawMaw.

I really enjoyed visiting the cemetery because it turned out to be very interesting.  I saw the gravestones of my grandparents, my great-grandparents, my great-great grandparents AND my great-great-great grandparents... all within about a 30 feet radius of each other!  I have been to this cemetery many times over the years but for some reason the significance of that just never registered to me before like it did this time.  For years I have told my family that I really don't care what they do with me when I die because I know I won't be here and don't think I will care once I'm gone.  I have to admit though that during this visit I gained a new understanding of and appreciation for why it is so important to some people and why it mattered to my grandma!