eXTeNDeD FaMiLY

Well, I just finished a pretty good week here in Dominican Republic. This weekend, my family and I traveled around the southeast coast of the D.R. I really got to see a totally different part of the country than what I was used to. We went to an area called ( Bahona ) which is right off of the coast on the southern part and really is the country. We went in two cars because not only did Leida, Daliana and Ale go, but also Leida’s other daughter Anny, her husband and their new baby, Daira. We stayed at Anny’s husband’s mother’s house. As soon as we arrived, I knew that I liked the place. The people are by no means wealthy, nor are they dirt poor… but they definitely live in a way that would take many people back to their roots. The houses are wooden, they hang clothes to dry on clothes lines, and as all families are accustomed to in the D.R., they often have no electricity or water depending on the hour of the day.

Truthfully, spending time in El Campo this weekend made me think of extended family and how precious it is. The first night that I was there, the 12-year old sister of Ajelis (Anny’s husband) took me on a walk to “show me the neighborhood.” People were out hanging out and talking and it was not uncommon for someone to say hello. It became quickly evident that everyone in the village knew everyone and many were family members. The essence of a small town is equal whether in south Georgia or in the Dominican Republic.

We enjoyed so much going to the beach, hanging out at fresh-water rivers (even though for me the rivers were just a “tad” too cold.) And, we even got to go to Leida’s old stomping ground – Neyba. There, I got to meet Daliana’s grandparents. Oh, it made me think of my grandmother who passed away when I was in college.
Leaving there this morning, I have many images in my mind…. Memories that truly encompass that family feel that I sometimes miss by not having my family close… images that I imagine that would probably be a part of my memories had I grown up in a small town… and thoughts from my youth.
• A mother on her front porch doing her daughter’s hair
• The wooden houses with old doors that you know many people have passed through
• The sounds of the rooster at 5am
• Dinner with extended family of fried fish, plantains, and rice and beans
• Morning devotions and prayer
• Riding down the street and running into an uncle that you haven’t seen in years
• Family filling the house to see the new baby
• Everyone knowing there are visitors in town and coming to see