Pearls In The String Of Time

“Cabin crew, prepare for landing.” I always marvel at the broad spectrum of emotions those bitter sweet words can instigate. I have been fortunate enough to have heard them a myriad of times, sometimes welcoming them with complete exhilaration, other times accepting them with a sad resignation. They usually signaled the parting from one family, but often the reuniting with the other.

A woman has two families. In one, she is the caregiver, the heart of the family that never rests, constantly working long and hard to keep everything going, and keep everything together. She is the last to sleep, the first to get up, the one who waits until everyone is fed and showered before sitting down for a cup of coffee. In her other family, she is the one who is taken care of, pampered, showered with selfless love, reassurance, and protection.

I love having a family of my own, but going back to your first family is almost like stepping back into childhood, into a time and place where you can relax, shed your worries and responsibilities and just be their little girl. This was how it was in my case at least.

I remember my trips back to Brazil, on those rare occasions when I visited without my husband and daughters and could focus on my first family. It was liberating and exhilarating arriving at the airport, climbing down the flight of stairs and crossing the tarmac as the warm, tropical breeze enveloped me like an old friend welcoming me home. There is nothing like making that final turn through the double doors and spotting my entire family jumping up and down, shouting my name, waving, with big smiles on their faces. It was a tradition that was upheld every time I visited, where the entire family would greet me at the airport. I still remember my mother, laughing and crying at the same time, wrapping me up in her arms. There is no substitute for the feeling of peace and comfort I receive from my mother’s embrace. This beautiful and elegant woman is the epitome of love and tenderness, abounding with spirituality and unfaltering faith. Her words and affection can perform miracles. I once read an excerpt that tugged at my heartstrings, as it so aptly described how I felt about my mother, and my own daughters. It said that when a woman decides to have a child, she is signing up to have her heart wrenched from her, and released into the world. Children truly do take a piece of your heart with them wherever they go, but you take a piece of their heart too. That is how it is with my mother and me. She warms my heart and has always been a shining beacon in my life.