Cinco de Mayo

To many people in the world El Cinco de Mayo commemorates freedom but for me it is the anniversary of my aunt and uncle. These two very special people waited for me to be born so they could set their wedding date since my mother was to be the matron of honor and my father the best man. They have been like parents to me in many ways but were also just some one I could turn to when I did not want to speak to my parents. This is the value of an extended family. I grew up with lots of aunts, uncles, and cousins. There was always someone around I could go to if I didn't want to confide in my parents. Even though our homes were different ( some noisy, some quiet) the values were the same. I remember having cousins coming to my house to talk to my parents and I couldn't understand why. My parents were so strict. Well so were my aunts and uncles but they didn't have to enforce the rules for me so it was easier to talk more freely. Weekly all the families got together at my grandfather's house. The parents in the living room and the children in one of the extra bedrooms where we were allowed to play. Now I imagine that they discussed the children as well as world affairs on those Sunday afternoons. I'm sure it never occurred to us that they actually talked to each other about us but they did. In that way they knew how and what we were doing and we felt we had a someone we could comfortably talk to. So I thank my family for providing me with a loving supportive environment to grow up in. And to the aunt and uncle whose anniversary is today thank you for always loving me and for showing me how to love forever.