Recap part 4: Family

After leaving Rome, there was only one more stop before returning home for an extended stay.  As VIDES USA (Sister Gloria in particular) was so generous and helped with my expenses for the VIDES Conference, it was only fitting to give a little of my time to help the Sisters in San Antonio.  However, my intentions were stronger than my will.  While I was there amongst the Sisters physically, I found my mind wandering constantly from all I had experienced this past year as well as combating jet lag from the return trip to the United States.  I accomplished as much as I could, but both Sister Gloria and I realized that I needed some time to analyze my thoughts and reflect on my mission.  I was grateful to Sister Gloria for the opportunity still and knew that when I returned to San Antonio in January that I’d be in a different mindset.

Ahhh...zzzz

The return home brought a feeling of relief and joy to me, especially knowing that I’d be home until the New Year.  Not only that, but I knew that I’d be able to see my extended family in Naperville during Thanksgiving and during Christmas-time.  My family welcomed me home again and it felt nice to finally lay my head down on my old pillow in my bed.

When I first arrived home, I found myself a bit restless – which now I believe is a result of being a volunteer.  I spent my time during the day unpacking, cooking, and cleaning around the house.  However, it wasn’t stressful at all.  By unpacking, it helped give me a feeling of finalization of my mission as well as reflect on all the lessons I learned and gifts I received.  As I mentioned in a previous post, many times during mission, so much is happening simultaneously that it is nearly impossible to digest it all at once.  Going through my belongings slowly gave me the opportunity to understand the importance of such events and experiences. 

I filled my free time with cooking and exercise, which are stress-relievers for me.  As I ended up cooking most dinners in the Dominican Republic, I came to find out that I rather enjoyed cooking.  Though it does not compare to my mother’s cooking, it gave me a chance to experiment a bit and learn what works and what does not…at my family’s expense.  For the most part, the dishes turned out fine, but I also learned a few important lessons by means of my taste buds. 

This will be discussed for many Thanksgivings to come.

Our yearly visit to Naperville to celebrate Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays.  It’s a time for family, stories, laughter, good food, and relaxation.  We usually cram 40 or so people in one house to catch up with each other and share time together.  Every year, we recount many of the same stories, but they never seem to get old.  We laugh until we cry thinking about our trips to Lake Cumberland, naivety of our childhood, fun times at sports events (UofL sports usually enters into any and every conversation in one way or another as Thanksgiving falls right before bowl season and the start of basketball season), and then there’s the fabricated stories about our yearly tradition of laser tag and battle tech.  A few years back, my dad took it upon himself to brag how he dominated us last year – which no one seemed to remember except for him.  However, we responded by making sure that he would have nothing to brag about this year except for the constant barrage and tunnel of blue he would see. 

It took me many years to realize how blessed I am to have such a close and loving family, one that I look forward to each encounter with.  As I’ve grown older and heard many people complain about going to relatives’ houses – I feel a deep sorrow for them that they are not able to have the same experience.  I wish that they could be able to experience the full gift of family, which is a unique form of love that grows with time, which is why I was so insistent upon being with my family this time of year.

...ya filthy animal.

Merry Christmas!

 The rest of December was spent with family and friends as much as possible.  Rebecca and I even drove to Norfolk before Christmas to accompany Laura and Paul back to Kentucky.  Though it was a 10 hour drive, it did not feel so.  Just being with my siblings again brought me joy and peace – a Christmas blessing in itself.  

Oh yes, the blessing of family and everything that goes along with it.