The more I live in Texas the more I am amused by the fact that people don't know where I come from. Several times a week (and frequently multiple times a day) I pull out my most recent family photo that sits on my desk at work, and show it to complete strangers to illustrate the fact that I am who my name tag claims me to be, one of many of my children's offspring, half of my Mexican Father and half of my German Mother, and completely myself in every breath I take. Every day is an adventure at my new job and for the most part I love it. I answer the phone with the line, "Good morning, how may I improve your day?" and I can always tell when people are listening because I can hear them smile. A few times people have told me how I actually make their day better, and those are always my favorites.
I scared one of my priests because he saw me at Church and tried to prod me into introducing myself as a new parishioner at a parish that I have been frequenting for just over a year. When I told him this he asked why he had never seen me. I was at a loss for words. I guess I just fly under the radar now.
Not infrequently I tell my favoritest boss about my life before. Before I moved to Texas. Before I was in college. Before when if people knew me at all, they knew me as one of many. She usually laughs and tells me that I am hilarious and that all my supposed worries of people not liking me are entirely unfounded because everybody likes me. I laughed again. Imagine, me, the quietest of my mother and father's children, being the social butterfly. Without thinking I said, "If you think I make friends wherever I go, you should meet my Mother!" She smiled and asked me to tell her about the woman who made me and though I still exuded happiness, I was sad.
My Mother makes friends wherever she goes. My Mother tries to make everyone smile. My Mother will spend hours talking to complete strangers, listening attentively, and talking excitedly in turn, about topics ranging from politics, to homeschooling (not much of a jump), to music, to religion, but everything she does she does with love. And when you see that love you know she is thinking of us.
My Mother doesn't recognize cloudy days, and always finds the silver lining. My Mother rarely has bad days, can always make the best of a bad situation, and is always surprising my Father with her hair brained schemes. "Gerardo, let's drive to Utah tomorrow! Come on, it will be FUN!" My Mother can turn a day around, make frowns turn upside down, and even when she is driving me crazy it obvious and apparent that what she does, she does in love.
My Mother is sunshine in a bottle. I wish that I could bottle her up, and take her with me when I'm feeling down. I love that when people see me, they see just a bit of her as well. And that way, even when a million miles separate us, I know that she's not alone, and I'm not alone, and we'll never really be apart.
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