You never Know

My moms sisters came into town last weekend to visit my mom after they heard the news she had cancer AGAIN! Well they haven't seen one another for maybe a lil over 2 years, and before that it was prally 10! Needless to say my mom is not too close to her sisters, and pretty non existent to her brothers. Her father died when she was 9 and her mom died when I was 16. After her mom died it was as though our visits to Sacramento were far and wide. So when my aunt Darlene (the one with the scarf/youngest sis) emailed me and said to tell my mom her and Geraldine/Geri (all black eldest sis) were coming my mom was instantly nervous, and really stressed. I did not know why she was acting like this, but I didn't care, I wanted her to have a close relationship with her sisters like how I do with mine. So they came in Friday afternoon, and they stayed in my parents house til Mon morning. That weekend was AMAZING! I am so mad I didn't take pics of that weekend, it flew by so fast cause it was so fun! But anyway my moms family like I said is very dis connected. My mom and her siblings had a very bad childhood. Her father was an alcoholic, her mother kinda went coo coo after he passed. My mom thinks she was bi-polar, but was never diagnosed, and so when she got a ticket out of Sacramento and a college scholarship to LDS Business College she took it. She never looked back and never wanted to move back to Cali because she closed that chapter in her life. She took us out to Sac every now and then to visit Grama Faun, and her sisters...but it was very short, and she never took all of us, except when Grama Faun passed. My mom always thought that her siblings looked down on her, because she remained LDS, (they all have left the church) and because she married a polynesian who wanted tons of kids...they didn't understand what my mom was doing, esp with their upbringing and childhood. So that's her reasoning for not taking us around them much. But everytime we were down there I felt nothing but love from them. So this time around them coming out to us, was not normal for my mom. I felt bad for her because she was nervous, and didn't know what to do with them because this is MORMON TOWN afterall, and she didn't wanna shove that down their throat, cause she didn't wanna offend them. But how could she when her life evolved around her faith was her thought process. So she told me and my siblings to figure out what to do with em. So Friday night we took em to Gardner Village to hunt for the Witches, and they loved how cute it was, and they loved looking at all the Witches too. Then Saturday my mom had a bake sale for Pennies by the Inch, and she made 86 bucks!! My aunts went to the mexican store and bought all the stuff to make Tamales! MMMM YUMMM, I watched my aunts cook, we talked, laughed, got to know one another. Making tamales is an ALLL day process. My aunt Geri started at 10 and we ate at 9pm!! & then she was pissed off cause the masa wasn't fresh so she felt like it was a waste and that they were nasty....they were a lil rubbery but we all ate em! My aunt Darlene made spanish rice and beans and it was oooo so delicioso!! She made earlier some guacamole and that was the BOMBEST I've ever had! My moms sisters can throw down, juss like my mama!! :) I was so happy to eat all the goodies. Sunday my mom asked if they wanted to come to church with her, and they kindly declined, so my brother Lame, and sis Lina and their boyfriend and girlfriend took em up to the canyons to see all the beautiful colors, and then to brunch. They came back and we had a potluck, and we all ate, and hung out talking stories and just having a good ole time. Then my dad gathered everyone together and we had a lil family meeting to say goodbye to them because their flight was that next morning at 8:40am..so all the grandkids spoke and thanked them for coming, and then it was adults and we went around in a circle. When it was my turn...I could not speak, tears were falling down my cheeks uncontrollably. I was so overwhelmed with emotion, and I couldn't stop myself. After I composed myself I thanked them for coming down and just expressed the love I felt the whole time they were here with us. I expressed the love I could see from my mother that they would drop everything to come and be with their sister thru this trial! It was all downhill from there, Cia cried, Lina cried, everyone was crying while expressing their love. When it came to my aunts turn Darlene said she loved how close knit our family was, and how loving and open armed we were. Then Geri spoke and she stood up and was shaking...let me tell u a lil about my aunt Geri she has only one son, she left the church at the age of 19 and she is very sarcastic & very very funny. But she is also negative, and she is solid as a rock, she doesn't really get along with people and she is a hard shell to crack!! So anyway she stood up and she started bawling...it was so sad, she then said she is not one to speak publicly at all, and that she has never felt the way she is feeling. She thanked our family for the hospitality, she expressed her love to us, and thanked us for taking care of her sister and told my mom she is so blessed and SOO LUCKY! All the while she was crying like crazy! The spirit was felt so strongly in the room, it was as if the Lord was standing beside her rubbing her back so we could understand the words coming out of her mouth. :'( It was beautiful to feel that strong testimony that I know my aunt still has. My mom and dad spoke to close and I know my aunts felt the love. And although they aren't LDS, and they are older and have their own lives...I know our family made an impression in their hearts, we vowed to keep in touch, and we all want to including my mother. My mom told them it was her that was keeping the distance and she told them she had never thought about CANCER the whole weekend they were there, and she knows she needs them in her life. IT was sweet, and I believe YOU NEVER KNOW, they may come back to the church. I hope they do, I feel that Geri will, I think she is scared but now that the door is open...we're gonna be knocking!!! :) Hoping my mom can make her family eternal with the help of her eternal family!! My fave quote for sisters that I seen on a plaque given to my mother years and years ago when I was maybe 11 from her sister Geri that had a pic of 2 lil girls holding hands from behind walking in a meadow that said underneath "Sisters by chance, friends by choice" My mom has her best friends back in her life, and I'm so grateful to see her happy, and I'm grateful to have my aunties back in our lives :) You would never know that from a trial can come triumph :)