Yesterday morning, Albina called me. I love to hear her voice and how she says “Hello”. We only talk a little on the phone because I speak very limited Romanian. Then we get on Yahoo IM and chat away. I use the help of Google Translate to speak to my family. I’m so thankful for that tool. Sometimes I get so frustrated with my inability to remember and speak my native language. I can understand more than I speak but it is frustrating for me because I am never able to truly express my feelings. I am more determined than ever to learn {or remember} the language. I just have to. I have so many questions and without the language, the story of my family will remain largely untold. I want my children to know their heritage. I want to know my heritage. I want to know their life stories. I want to know the story of my parents, aunts, uncles and grandparents.
Anyways, since Albina called me I decided that today I wanted to tell you about her.
This is Albina. And I love her. A lot.
Albina is my mother’s older sister. Out of 4 siblings, she is the third oldest. She was married to Ion and has 1 son and 1 grandchild. She worked in a shoe factory for 32 years. She makes everything. She grows and cans everything herself. She sews and knits. She gave me a pair of really thick wool socks she knitted herself. She is the best cook. All of her food was wonderful. She makes the best soup I’ve ever had. Her food is true comfort food. I think she is the hardest working woman I know.
But the most amazing quality I noticed about her was her loving disposition. She cares for everyone. She envelops you with such love that it feels like a nice warm blanket over you. That is the only way I can describe her quality. She is comfort to me. When I think of home, I think of her. When we finally saw each other face to face, she hugged and kissed me. And it felt like I was truly home. Being close to her makes me feel like I am closer to my mother. Even after all the years that have passed, she never gave up hope of finding me. She just kept searching and praying. It feels good to never be forgotten. I was a part of her life. Her sister’s only daughter. A little girl she loved like her own child.
I hope someday {soon} I can fully express to her {in Romanian} how much I love her. She saved some of my mother's belongings for me. My mother’s traditional dress and head scarf are one of my most treasured possessions. Her dress hangs in my closet and sometimes I just like to hold it close because I miss my mother. I hope to be as kind and loving as Albina. She serves all those that she meets. She is always happy. I truly admire her for her strength. She is a woman who has survived many hardships and yet maintains a strong faith and a loving disposition.
Albina, I miss you. And I love you more than I could express.
