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40 Year Journey

Friday, May 13, 2011

When my parents asked if I could come to town because our family would be receiving an award, I didn't give it a second thought. It seemed that I was able to be there, and so I made the trek back home to West Texas with my toddler and infant in tow.The normal 5.5 hour drive was nearly a 7 hour drive. We encountered some bad weather on the way up there, which slowed us down. We were stuck behind a few semi trucks (One which I swore was stalking me and following me, even following me to a rest stop! I, of course high-tailed it to the nearest courthouse to nurse the Sugarbaby instead of out in the picturesque country rest stop. My intuition was screaming, so I had to follow it!)

We arrived safely, albeit a suffering from a bad case of cabin fever. The Sugarbean, as always, is a wonderful traveler, and Tesla wasn’t so bad either. We just had to stop twice to nurse and once because she had a blow-out. For once, I didn’t encounter the city sneezing, so I had hope that maybe this time I would be able to enjoy my stay without having to deal with allergies. No such luck because those first few hours were the only hours I wasn’t sneezing or wheezing.

I digress…
We were invited to the Raiders Rojos Convocation ceremony to be honored as the Distinguished Alumni Family. My father is an alumni, my sister, myself, and Brother are all alumni. Mom is currently attending Tech to get her degree. Dad is also working on his Masters. (Not to mention the cousins and aunts that are also alumni!)

When I arrived, I was humbled looking upon the many faces of everyone in attendance. This was a bigger deal than I initially thought. When they called our name to receive the award, I swelled with pride and fought back tears.

I looked over to my father and tried to picture him as a 19 year old married kid with a child on the way. To have the bigger dream despite the adversity, and to wake up every single day with more tenacity and purpose than any 19 year old I’ve ever met, well, I’m just humbled. EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. He took a little longer than the typical 4 years to complete his degree, but he did. My mother supported him every step of the way. 

In those early days, my family was poor, but rich in love. The love shown from their family and friends, well, it’s just amazing! It was present in that moment when I looked out at my Aunt’s and Cousin’s face. I held Mari’s tiny hand in my own, praying that she would remember this moment and understand that struggles and perseverance WILL lead to greater things. I was proud to be there with my parents, representing the siblings. I was proud to have my daughters with me!
Thank you Mom & Dad for not only dreaming big, but show us how to dream big as well!

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