Spring is Here to Stay

It's spring time and I'm loving it! (That sounded like a fast food motto.lol)

I love spring, the warm weather, the breezy sunshine, the blooming flowers, and let's not forget, the spring fashion. Yay! That means I can wear my pastel colored and sheer clothes and floral perfume scents. I even love the sporadic rains to flush away the aggravating pollen. I don't know about you but I am embracing spring and everything in it. 

When I think of spring, I also think of life and new beginnings. Like how the buds bloom and turn to beautiful and mystical flowers. As I posted on my Instagram, my Lola was just discharged yesterday from the hospital. She's doing much  better now and like a flower, she just miraculously blossomed and was given new and extended life. 

As you may know, last month and in the beginning of this month, was kind of rough for me and my family. With my beloved grandfather passing followed by my dearest grandmother's hospitalization for over a week, it felt like a severe blizzard withering our household.

If I may use an analogy for our family, the way I see it is like this: Our grandparents both are the tree, our parents are the fruits, and we are the flowers. hehe (If I am a flower, I would like to be a cherry blossom.hahaha) Anyway, like a tree, they hold us all strongly and tightly together. Lola and Lolo did their very best to get us here in the United States, not only to have a good life, but to enjoy the true meaning of family. Helping one another through the bad, and being there for one another in sharing life's triumphant milestones. I am so blessed to be a part of this kind of family.

Back in the Philippines, my grandmother and the rest of her Jayo siblings lived in one compound in Tondo, Manila. My mother, my aunts and their cousins all grew up together and they were really close. I am delighted whenever they tell us how fun their childhood was. Then one day, a Jayo sibling decided she wanted to try her luck in America and off she went. After that, the rest of the Jayo siblings moved to America. First to New Jersey and after around a decade to Georgia. Now most of the Jayo clan is here in Georgia. That's how amazingly tightly knitted our family is.

So when my Lolo died, I believe my Lola got depressed so badly, thus affecting her health. Plus she's already 91 so that was kind of expected at that age. After Easter, we all noticed how weak my Lola had gone. She refused to eat because of her acid re-flux and heartburn. She just wanted to stay at home and sleep when she used to be so outgoing and effervescent before. She would occasionally remember her husband and she would cry for his unforeseen death. Even though I still have my husband, I felt for her because my husband is not with me as of this moment. Losing a husband is like losing a part of you.

When my Lola was confined in the hospital for 9 days, every single day, we were there. Everyday, relatives would visit her, even her friends that felt like a family to her especially our friends in CFC and in St. Benedict, the priests, the deacons, and the Legion of Mary. My Lola indeed touched a lot of lives and made a mark in every single one of them. Her face would light up when a familiar face shows up. When we leave her room, we would always end our day praying over her. I believe that helped her gain back her strength. And yesterday, she was able to go home finally.

Witnessing how our family gave utmost care to my grandmother was so inspiring. The love, concern, and care they showered upon my Lola was I believe what cured my grandmother best. I thought for a split second that God is already taking her from us but seemingly, not yet. Her life goes on and like spring, it is here to stay. Although it won't be as long as we'd like it to be but we are still grateful we could still enjoy her company for a bit more.  

xoxo,

Joselle