15 de agosto

Today is "Mother's Day" in Costa Rica and it's also the 61st year that India celebrates its "Independence Day".

After Fabian was born, I celebrated my first "Mother's Day" in Goa, India. Every year, on this day, I realize I have come to admire my Mom Olga and my Grandmother Carmen, more and more.

This year I am also remembering one other special Mom of mine...my Mom Marie. She was brave enough to want to host an exchange-student and as I have said before, it was a great opportunity for me. Mom Marie played a very important role in my life...I'll be forever thankful that I met her and I still remember things that she taught me.

Here are some of my memories: She was really excited for me when I was going out on a "date", she helped me write a good-bye note to the editor of the local newspaper before I went back to my country, she asked me to help her cook dinner on Wednesdays and whenever she made plans I was sure she would carry them out. During my first days of my arrival at her house, she bought me shorts so that I could stand the heat of the desert (Arizona), she bought me a diary so I could record all of my exciting experiences of my exchange-student days (that was probably what lead me to blog later), she took me to Church every Sunday morning, even though she wasn't a Catholic and didn't stay for the Mass. I saw Mom Marie ten years later after my exchange-student year when I went back to Arizona for a High School Reunion. She kept in touch with me by air mail and e-mail as well.

Now she's no longer with us and the only regret that I have is that she never visited me in Costa Rica (due to the fact that I started to travel a lot since my early working days). I remember her when I think of my AFS experience, when I go to a library and when I see Fabi's eye color, which also reminds me of the rest of the family, my former host-father Curt (who is also not with us any more), my host-brother Josh and host-sister Cari.

Last year my Mom spent this day in the hospital. One year later, she's recovered from very scary sick times and just a few days before "Mother's Day" she met Cari for the first time, as my former host-sister happened to be in Costa Rica! What exciting times!

I want to wish a very "Happy Mother's Day!" to Mom Olga & Mom Marie....my Grandmother Carmen ... all of my friends who are mothers and those soon-to-be Moms, too!

(Cari & Mom Olga in Heredia, during Cari's recent trip to Heredia, Costa Rica - Aug. 2008)

¡Gracias, Sandra, por compartir tu poema! ¡Qué pases un muy feliz Día de las Madres!

Happy Mother's Day to all the Indian mothers who are celebrating their Independence Day, too!...