This weekend I will be traveling to Brawley, CA to visit my family. For those of you who may not know, I moved to San Marcos, CA when I was 20 years old to attend college. After I graduated, I moved to Oceanside, CA and have been here ever since followed by a quick cameo living in Vista, CA for a year. I love living in Oceanside. It’s 5 minutes away from my job in Carlsbad and I often go to the beach a few times a week, if not everyday. But the best part of living an independent life of my own here is that it’s close to my hometown of Brawley. A 2 ½ hour drive and I’m there. Most of my beautiful family still resides in Brawley.
Between all of us, our family occupies 6 homes throughout Brawley. That’s 6 homes I get to visit when I’m there, but only get to around 2 or 3 on short visits haha!! And it all began with my little short Mexican mother, Carmen. There are so many wonderful things I could say about my mom, but I’m afraid it would take me a couple of years. So I’ll shorten it for the purpose of this blog.
My parents had 8 kids. That’s a lot. I’m number 7. Based on the differences between our ages, I always say that they had their first 5 kids within a matter of years, took a 10-year break, and had the last 3. I have no clue how my mother did it. What makes her even more unbelievable is that she still remains the most amazing mother after losing her husband (my dad) and her oldest son (my brother). She’s funny, she’s caring, she’s an angel, and she would do anything for any of her kids. One of the best things I loved about her when I was a kid is when I would rest my head on her chest hearing her heartbeat and she would be singing or talking. I would feel the vibrations of her voice and heartbeat through my muffled ear. It felt so comforting and it felt like home. Sometimes I still do rest my head on her chest. No matter how much older I get, there are times where I still feel like that little kid coming home after school happy to see my mom.
Then there’s the rest of the family. Since there is a big age difference between the first 5 born and the last 3, I got to grow up with wonderful older influences. My 4 older sisters sometimes felt like my 4 extra mothers helping raise me and my brother Edgar and sister Vanessa. And there was definitely no question in the type of fatherly influence I had when my late oldest brother Chava stepped in after our dad passed away.
I feel as if my mom showed us all how to love. It’s a strong and forgiving love. And when her children carried/still carry all that love with us, it left us open to love someone else. And that someone else became/becomes our husbands, wives, children, and even best friends. You don’t have to be blood related to feel the love my mom gives. Just ask any of my or my brother and sister’s friends. She’s the ultimate Mama Lua. And even though we’re all off busy with our own separate lives and families, not too much time passes by before we get together to celebrate a birthday (and trust me, there are a lot of birthdays!!), a holiday, or just a Sunday get together to eat menudo or posole.
I know I always say that I still want to live in a different country for every year I'm in my 30’s to work and explore other cultures, but I think I yearn that adventure because I know what I have in my family to come back to. I don’t think I would feel secure nor have the courage to explore the world if I didn’t have my family to fall back on. They will always be my safety net with open arms.
And so we’ll gather this weekend in Brawley to celebrate my sister Rosa and her husband Chelino’s 30th wedding anniversary. I’ve been told that a lot of extended family is coming. Maybe even some from where I was born in Yuba City, CA. I’m completely looking forward to it and excited to see everyone. So I whimsically dedicated this blog to my extended family I don’t get to see everyday like my cousins Elizabeth (Chu), Sarah, Sal, Mariely etc. But most importantly to the following:
My mom and Dad – Carmen and Rafael Lua (passed away in 1995)
First born my sister Mary, her husband Rodrigo, and their daughter (my partner in crime) Marybel Torres (27)
Second born my sister Rosa, her husband Chelino, their kids Josh (28), Johana (24), and Giovani (20)
Third born my late brother Salvador (aka Chava – passed away in 2001), his wife Sylvia, and their daughter Miniquis (13)
Fourth born my sister Lupe, her husband Tony, their kids Gessell (16 and my god-daughter), Brandon (about to be 13), and Savina (3).
Fifth born my sister Carmen, her husband Joel, and baby Miranda on the way.
Sixth born my brother Edgar (29), his soon-to-be wife Jeannette, and their son Diego (1 and my god-son)
7th born is me (28) haha!! No husband, no kids, no thanks haha!!
And lastly but definitely not least 8th born my sister Vanessa (24) and working her way through Cosmetology school.
Of course let me not forget life’s extra blessings within our family: close family friends like Connie, Rene, and others. Close friends of mine like Andrea, Felipe (my mom still says you have sexy legs), Jorge, Edna, Melissa, Vanessa, Steven, Karla, Jennifer, etc. – who my family still asks about from time to time. Although, Andrea pretty much has our last name permanently engraved in her heart because she’s been around us so long. My brother’s friends who my mom adores: Raymond, Pete, Monster (Richard), Lodi, etc. My sister Vanessa’s friends like Michelle and Claudia. And a few others I might have forgotten to mention.
You all make life worthwhile!! Thank you for reading!!
Jessenia :o)
