I love pancit. So I was glad that we went to a restaurant in Grove City that has Filipino food. Not many places like that around here. I had a nice chat with the owner and told her about our Filipina sister-in-law. In the course of the conversation, she asked if our sister-in-law ever went home to the Philippines to visit. We told her that she had been back a couple of times.
This made me wonder what that must be like. I have always lived pretty close to my parents and extended family. If I want to "go home" for a visit, it's only 30 miles to Sharpsville. It must be really hard to only get to visit your mom once every 5 years or so, if that. Both of my kids live far, but at least it is still affordable and doesn't require a ridiculously long airplane trip. Pretty long, but not ridiculously long.
This makes me wonder about my grandmother and the other millions of immigrants like her. How many of them came to America and never saw their parents again? My grandmother came here to marry my grandfather without really knowing him. I'm not sure if they had met previously or not. She looks sad and forlorn in her wedding picture. I can't decide if she looks more sad or scared. She was probably both. She came here on a boat with only what she could carry to marry someone she didn't know and live somewhere she knew nothing about. She didn't know how to speak English. She was only 18 years old and had to leave her home and parents. Any communication with them would have been through letters. No Skype. And how many times was this same story was being played out by so many other women? They really had to be strong. It's no wonder that people from the same ethnic background settled together in communities to have that little sense of the old country. To have others to relate to and talk to. To have a little piece of home.
And to go back even a bit farther in my wondering....imagine what it must have been like to leave your home in the pioneer days or for settlers like the Pilgrims. They didn't even have much of a chance of contacting their families by letters. If they were lucky enough to get a letter, it would be a long time in getting there. You might leave your home and never ever know what happened to your parents and family and never ever see or talk to them again. No photos, nothing. People back then had to have a lot more guts and gumption than we do now. I'm not much of a one for change. I would probably have been one of the ones left back in the old country. Which is OK I guess, someone had to stay there or Europe would be empty.
So if I am tempted to complain too much about not being able to see Josie as often as I'd like...I need to remind myself that at least I do get to see her and that I can see photos online and print them instantly from my own computer. And I can see her in real time on Skype. And I can watch videos of her. I am thankful that I live in the times that I do. Sometimes I wish life was simpler and that my phone still had a cord and didn't come with me everywhere I go. But most of the time, I'm glad I can send a photo of The Corral to my kids to make them jealous. Modern technology does indeed make my connection to my family better than my grandmother's.
I challenge you today to send a little love out to your family...email them a photo...just because you can.
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