...that make it all worth it.

This past weekend we had the opportunity to attend our friend Marco’s birthday party.  About the time we moved into our apartment complex Marco began a new job as one of the security guards at the front gate of the complex.  Over time we got to know him as we entered and exited the complex and took our dog for walks.  Marco does not speak English and our Spanish is still very limited, but he became especially fond of Eli who always said “hi” and “bye” to him as we went by the gates. 

A couple of months ago the apartment complex switched security companies and all of the guards were replaced (apparently this happens from time to time).  On his last day of work Marco made sure to come and trade contact information with us so that we could keep in touch.  A couple of weeks later we had Marco and his college-aged son, Obed, over for a couple of hours to visit and get to know them better.  Obed is the first in the family to attend college and speaks fairly decent English, so we were able to get to know a little bit more about Marco and his family.  After our visit we continued to keep in touch and Obed called again a couple of weeks ago to invite us to Marco’s birthday party.

Eli with Marco's daughter and several of the children at the party.

We gladly accepted the invitation and this past weekend drove up into the mountains just outside the city to their home for the party.  We entered the plywood gate to their front patio and walked down concrete stairs onto to concrete floor of their kitchen and master bedroom/dining room/living room.  We soon discovered that they had no running water and that the toilet was to be flushed with a bucket of water.  Obed apologized for their poor state, but I couldn’t help but focus on the happy and welcoming nature of this sweet family.    

We met Marco’s wife, their five children and their spouses/significant others, their grandchildren, and basically the entire extended family.  The event included us (the token gringos) and around 50 family members.  They all told us how handsome our guerro (blonde) son is as they petted his head and remarked often about my blue eyes.  We certainly stood out as being different, but were not treated as anything but family.

We were served ceviche and a seafood stew full of whole crabs, shrimp, clams, mussels, and large chunks of fish.  This was not the kind of meal that the average American would consider affordable to feed to such a large crowd, but nonetheless heaping portions were placed in front of us.  They were incredibly generous and made sure to check on us throughout the evening and help take care of Eli.  It was a beautiful sight to see him play among Marco’s grandchildren and great nieces and nephews.

It was a wonderful evening of celebrating with new friends, but also a time to reflect on all that we are blessed with – yes, there are the items that we are able to purchase, but more importantly there is the gift of family.

Dave asked me at one point during the evening “Could we be as happy as them living like this?”

All I could say was “I hope so.”  I hope my happiness is not counted in monetary value.

It’s been quiet on the blog lately because I have been busy earning my Mommy Badges over the last week.  

What are Mommy Badges ?”, you ask.

Mommy Badges are earned for those moments when being a mom gets a bit harder.  These are the moments when it’s not such a glamorous job, but still somehow incredibly fulfilling, because you know that you are needed.

I earned a badge on Tuesday night when Eli started vomiting just before bed time.  We continued the process until about 1am with a poor whimpering child, cleaning walls and floors, completing three loads of laundry, and a very early morning shower for both Daddy and son.  Daddy definitely earned his badge that night as well.

Another badge came Thursday and Friday when Eli’s school called to say that he had a rash and needed to be picked up.  That rash grew into hives which continued to spread throughout his entire body through Friday morning.  Although he was incredibly good spirits the whole time he kept Mommy and Daddy pretty worried for about 24 hours. 

Apparently my sweet little boy was allergic to something he ingested (now we are in the exciting process of trying to figure out what).   Eli’s pediatrician assured Daddy that our perfect little boy who seemed to be covered in one giant red blotch would be handsome again.   He was right.  Thanks to an antihistamine he seemed miraculously cured by the next morning. 

Am I glad my little boy had to go through these things?  Of course not, but I know that this is an important part of being a parent.  It’s the loving and supporting in the midst of sickness, unpleasant smells, laundry, the unknown, and the worrisome - the not so glamorous moments.  I know that there are many more to come – the kind that are harder and last longer.

There’s something beautiful in the midst of it all.  Something wonderful about being needed, about providing love, about being a parent, and about growing, learning, and being stretched alongside your child.

Well, I’ve got to run.  Eli just somehow managed to get yogurt in his eye.  Not a badge-worthy moment - just another moment in the life of the mom of a toddler.