Return of the Family

How lucky am I? Not only do my Mom and Dad travel over 10,000 miles to see me once, but they come back 18 months later to do it a second time. Marvelous! This time around we were missing one key component, my young and accomplished little sister. She is a grown up now, quite the opposite of her older brother. I wished dearly she could have been here but the cards didn't fall as such.

I managed to fully enjoy my time with my Mom and Dad. We did things a bit differ ant than we did the previous year. We visited my home, site, and friends first for 3 nights. As with last year everyone loved spending time with my both my Parents. My Dad was as big a hit as ever with my "Barcada" (drinking circle) in my barangay. After I returned home upon my Mom and Dad returning to America, my friends told me how approachable both my parents were. Due to an unwritten class system here, it is often the opposite for foreigners. I was very proud and happy that my parents did not fall into the norm.

While my parents were at my site my Host Agency through me an "early" going away party. They wanted my parents in attendance for the short program. Throughout the program I was a bit shy, I felt I had worked hard over the past two years but I didn't feel I deserved the unbelievable praise and honor that was being bestowed upon me (read further). My Parents did seem to enjoy hearing a bit more about my work and meeting many of the people I had worked with over the previous 30 months.

After three days at my site we moved onto the other side of the Philippines for a 5 day tour de Bohol. Bohol Island is one of my favorite locations in the Philippines, this was the fourth time I had gone. however it was the first time I stayed at the Bohol Bee Farm. The Bohol Bee farm was an unreal resort, all native with modern amenities and some of the best food I have every come across on this side of the world. Everything they serve is all organic and grown in their own gardens. We even at flower petal salads! After five days of their food I walked away feeling fantastic! They also provided us with vehicles to see the famed Bohol Chocolate hills, to take a slow boat down Loboc Rive, tour very unexpected but delightfully butterfly farm, see the cute Tarsiers (world smallest monkey), and do some incredible snorkeling (and for myself diving).


It was fantastic to spend so much time "just being" with my Mom and Dad. As we have all grown older this kind of time together becomes less and less. Its ironic in a way, seeing that as this type of time together lessons, how much more I treasure it and wish I had more. I guess I try to hold it like a bit of water in cupped hands. You can not hold it to tight or you will loose the water, and not tight enough and the water will drip away. How new agey does that sound? But it is how I feel about my time with my parents. I miss them dearly already and I can't wait till next May when I will get to see them again.