Mothers and Daughters

There is nothing like the bond between mother and daughter. It is unbreakable. It is strong. It is fierce. Impermeable. Unique. One-of-a-kind. We come from our mother's womb and as a result we have the invisible connection that continues to bond us to her throughout our lives.


With this being said, I have had the honor to witness such a bond between two of my best friends (REAL best friends) and their mothers. I mean where the daughters have respect, love, admiration, and true friendship with their mothers. And these women are not mothers because they gave birth to my sister-friends, but because they were extraordinary women during their time on this planet, and they touched everyone in their lives. They were role models, they were strong, they fought the illness that reached out to hurt them and which eventually took them away from us. And yet they remained beautiful inside and out throughout their battle.


But the sickness only took them away from us physically. It canNOT take away their spirit, their strength, their LOVE. These women will remain with us forever; they will live within us, reminding us to be good people, as they were. To work hard, to treat people with respect, to love our husbands, and to be fabulous mothers like they were.


Today I honor the memory of, the life of, and the legacy of Virginia Surowka and Barbara Bogart. Two of the most fascinating women in this world. Two of the most wonderful women that have ever entered into my life, and who I will never ever forget.  And I had the blessing of seeing them as second mothers, as aunts, as an additional member in my family. God bless these women for all that they did while on this Earth. My thoughts and prayers go out to their families everyday, and especially today as Mrs. Bogart has left the Earth this morning to ascend to heaven, pain free. I love you ladies, and I love your daughters Stephanie and Kim who would not be the women they are today had they not been born by you and raised by you. Thank you for your gift.

Stephanie & Virgina Surowka

Kimberly & Barbara Bogart

Barbara (Babs) and Virginia (Gemini), may you rest in peace, and be remembered for all of your beauty and all that you accomplished on this Earth. These women are truly, angels in heaven.


With love,

Echoes and piles

I feel like I'm surrounded by emptiness and well, piles. Sounds like an oxymoron, right?  I'd have to say then that with the exception of a foot or two up from the ground in certain areas of my apartment, there's predominantly emptiness in my home. Emptiness in the sense that I have been successful at selling most of what I aimed to. And there are only 2 piles and they are neatly stacked. I had to take everything out of the closets and until we decide if we're taking just suitcases, or if we will take a box and we actually pack, on the floor the books and other documents will remain for now. Plus, with our drawers and tables and bookshelves sold, where else do we put everything?


That's what the piles are made up. And the echoes? All of my artwork off the walls, large furniture gone, and apartment emptying.


You know, as I pack and simultaneously watch the news about the destruction that floods, tornadoes, and earthquakes have done in my country and around the globe, I'm left to ponder over the importance of materialistic goods and belongings that have meaning and bring memories. For instance, my pictures. I just saw on the news the other day that a kind woman who has found a number of photos and other personal belongings of flood victims in the southern U.S. (Mississippi I think) has set up an account on Facebook to try and reunite people with their valuable items. I think that the actions of this woman are admirable and I know that people are grateful for her kindness.


Now I feel that my laptop is important to have with me as I move to Brazil, but is it more so than the stuffed bear that my great-grandmother knitted me? Or my baby pictures and the drawings that I made for my mom when I was in kindergarten? I personally don't think so.


I am just left to consider the importance of what we own - our possessions. People work hard to collect "toys" and other materials - cars, TVs, computers, video consoles, iPads, expensive clothes and watches - but why? I mean, unfortunately a hurricane, tornado, or earthquake can destroy it all in an instant. But what a natural disaster cannot take away from us is our education (although we can lose our diploma), our memories, and who we are as a person (though it may affect us greatly). Maybe this is why I'd rather spend time with family and friends and travel, then buy a diamond ring, a new car, or a large flat screen TV. Nevertheless, I do understand that not everyone agrees with me and I try not to pass judgment. I just don't think that what is tangible is always the most important. 


With this being said, I feel like I should say that I'm not planning on moving to Brazil to live in a wooden house with no TV and only a few pairs of clothes. I just don't think that our electronics, fancy sunglasses, and Nike shoes are really what count in life. Relationships, experiences, and happiness are essential. Now I need to make sure that I have packed up all of my memories aside to take with me.

Pictures bring back memories

At this point I have basically gone through all of my personal belongings and have decided what will go with me to Brazil, and what will be left behind (more than likely in the trash can). Phew. Although it was a task, I was "forced" to look through every folder, envelope, and stack of papers to make sure I didn't leave anything out. The labor was worth it though because boy did I find all of my pictures, from 1999 to about 2004. In other words, all of the pictures that I've saved from before we had digital cameras. Oh yeah, I found a number of pictures from when I was baby and throughout my childhood

What is exciting is that most of these pictures are from my travels. In fact, I was able to organize my pictures into 7 piles - Mexico, the U.S. (and this includes the pictures from my childhood all the way up to my undergraduate college graduation), Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay. I love it.

Now the memories are flooding in as I carefully look at each photo. Unfortunately I cannot scan these pictures to put them on display (i.e. on my blog) because I've sold my printer/copier/scanner, but I did find one in a friend's Facebook album and saved it to my computer.

The picture I saved is from my first trip to Peru (it was taken in the Plaza de las Armas in Cusco). I was 18 years old and having the time of my life travelling around Bolivia and Peru with other North Americans and a European friend that had been studying with me in Cochabamba. I'm in the center of the photo with a huge smile on my face and my knees tucked up :). This was definitely an unforgettable moment, for all of us.

And it's not just the pictures of friends who live far away, or who I haven't seen since that particular time in our lives, but it's also the pictures of my high school friends and family that are really touching. I mean, I found pictures from my high school graduation and pictures of my now 13 year old sister when she was just a newborn.

I will be safely packing all of these pictures away to take with me to Brazil. When I get there I'll buy a number of photo albums and display them for the world to see...but more importantly, for me to appreciate. The photos of my grandparents, my mother, my sisters, my stepdad, and my dear dear friends who have always been around to encourage, support, and love me, will never be out of reach.