Talk about making your dreams come true. Allison is another example of a PR gal, turned into friend. Allison has recently changed her life for the better by studying abroad. So, so excited for her!
Please welcome, Allison!
Coming from a Mexican family, we’re naturally very close. It’s common that the children live with their parents until they get married. It’s also common that you always greet everyone with a kiss. But as a lot of families start moving to the U.S., we start loosing a lot of our traditions and start taking part of this fast-pace, independent, “American” lifestyle.
Personally, not only are we Mexican, but my parents are divorced as well, so I’m very connected to my mother and sisters = we’re the powerful trio. I have lived with them my whole life, except for a few years while in college, so I never had the urge to move out. Even at times when I did want to move out, I could see the devastating look in my mother’s eyes. She didn’t want me to leave and I didn’t want to break her heart. But, as kids get older, they start to take interest in other things – school, friends, the internet… your “little girl” soon turns into a big girl. I say this because for the last couple of years, all of us in the house have created our own life and our own schedule. Mom works, sister’s at school, I work… we’re all busy. We run out of the house in the morning, we run back in at night. How can we live in the same household and barely talk to each other, let alone have a sit-down dinner together? We were guilty.
We were guilty of taking each other for granted, we were guilty of not kissing each other goodnight, we were guilty for not asking the simple “how was your day?”. It seemed like the only time we planned dinner, was for a special occasion: A birthday, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day.
Recently after making a big decision and moving across the ocean to Paris (you can read about that here), I have started to realize how important family is.
I hardly spoke to my mom about my day at home and now we Skype for hours. We share stories about our day, we laugh, we make plans for the future… more importantly we bond. I miss her laugh, I miss the smell of her perfume, I miss her yelling “Aliiiiiii” across the house. And I can’t wait to see her for Christmas!
One of the first thing I noticed here is that families eat dinner together EVERY NIGHT. Same as when I’m in Mexico. My aunts and uncles ALWAYS have dinner together. Not one going to McDonalds, and one eating a quesadilla and the kid eating Hot Cheetos. Nope, everyone eats together at the table. And if the children no longer live in the house, Sunday is the day for the big family feast where everyone comes over. You’ll also find that most shops and businesses are closed here on Sundays because it’s an unwritten family day. It’s like Mother’s Day every Sunday. And I find that to be so special. I can hear the neighbors popping a bottle of wine, laughing, dishes clinging… it’s a moment that everyone enjoys.
I’m now appreciating my family a lot more and this experience is really giving me a new perspective on how I want to raise my own kids one day.
So wherever life takes you, it’s important to always keep your family close and continue to bond as much as you can. It’s never too late to start a new family routine.
Allison Olivia
www.allisonolivia.com/blog
Allison, your adventures in Paris are to die for. I look forward to tasting your culinary treats soon!
Liz Cerezo
Liz is a Mexican-American blogger living in Southern California. Married 19 years, and a mami to 3 kids, her content is inspired from living in and raising a multicultural familia. Liz has been blogging for more than 7 years, establishing herself as a nationally recognized Latina blogger. She often blogs in Spanglish and may throw in some Tagalog when talking about her hubby. You can also find her chit chatting away at @Liz_Cerezo on Twitter!
Lexi
yay, Allison! I love it! We try to eat dinner together as much as possible. So true!
07 . Jun . 2013