The day after Christmas I was blessed with a visit from my sister and parents. I hadn’t seen them in four months and I began to tear up when I saw them making their way through the throngs of people outside the airport in Guatemala City. I had eagerly anticipated their visit for weeks, but was unprepared for the strong wave of emotions that washed over me when I saw their familiar faces and tall frames emerge from the crowd.
We spent our first few hours sharing stories that were too long to tell over the phone and I found myself laughing harder than I had in months. It meant so much to be able to communicate with them and not have to worry about the minutes on my phone running out, letters being lost in the mail, or dysfunctional Skype connections. Though the trip was mostly centered on spending time catching up, the Lee fam had its fair share of Guatemalan adventures.
We spent our first few hours sharing stories that were too long to tell over the phone and I found myself laughing harder than I had in months. It meant so much to be able to communicate with them and not have to worry about the minutes on my phone running out, letters being lost in the mail, or dysfunctional Skype connections. Though the trip was mostly centered on spending time catching up, the Lee fam had its fair share of Guatemalan adventures.
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| This year's family Chirstmas photo |
On our first full day together we went to visit my Guatemalan family in
Chimaltenango. We had all been looking forward to this day for weeks and it was
quite a day. One of my Guatemalan aunts and her husband picked us up in Antigua
and I couldn’t help but laugh as I tried to translate amidst the noise and
unpredictability of Guatemalan traffic.
When we arrived at my house in Chimal nearly the entire family was there
to greet us. Though my two families are from completely different cultures and
don’t share a common language, they bonded right away.
While I did spend a good part of our time together translating, I was touched to see my families using what little they knew of the others’ language to communicate.Dora prepared a delicious meal for us to share and after a few delightful hours at the house, most of us piled into the back of a pickup and headed down to see the firework booths where Dora and many other members of the family work during the month of December. We rode a chicken bus back to Antigua. I don't think the Lees will forget that ride anytime soon...
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| My sister and my Guatemalan cousins were instant friends |
Having both of my families in one place was an experience I will never forget. Thinking back on our day together reminds me of a quote by Desmond Tutu:
You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them.
God blessed me with two families, two gifts, I wouldn't trade for the world.
