Chapter 5

 Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,

while loving someone deeply gives you courage.

~Lao Tzu

Love. I don't get enough of it.

Actually, I do.

Today I was blessed to realize all the extensions of love that surround me.

I attended my cousin's babyshower of which his mother is my godmother and great aunt.

Standing at about 4'9" and 105 pounds, I have no idea where my godmother fits all this joy, love and the spirit of Jesus Christ. My great aunt, Tia Melliza, is an embodiment of relentless faith and selfless love. Should you ever feel defeated, depressed or doubtful, just ring Tia Melliza and in no time she will help you overcome your darkest hour.

Tia Melliza (which translates to twin) has an identical twin sister so imagine everything I mentioned times two! They both share the same nicknames, so we call them Tia Melliza New York and Tia Melliza Dominican Republic. They also share their first and middle names but in alternating order (great grandma wasn't too creative) and that's how my middle name came about: Mercedes, our Lady of Mercy. They would share stories of how they intentionally fooled people into thinking they were the other twin and by the end they would burst out in synchronized laughter.

The beauty of my family size is that I was given the opportunity to really bond with my grandmother's sisters. I never got to meet my grandmother but boy did this Earth miss out on a woman who came from a strong line of resilient women. They don't make them like this anymore.

After leaving the baby shower, I had to go buy a couple of things that I still needed for my new room. My boyfriend, Aundrée, drove from work to assist me with the shopping. He drove 45 minutes after a long day of work in addition to feeling under the weather. Although this may seem as a minute favor, I saw this as a portrayal of love. At times we get caught up in the commercialized depiction of love in which we automatize "I Love You" or make a big celebration of anniversaries but what about all the days in between those anniversaries? What about the hugs that are a little longer than usual, the random phone call to see how they're doing or the day you look deeply into their eyes and just smile? Of course it's nice to utter "I Love You" as vocal reminder of how much a person means to you but it's the gestures that portray that strong sentiment.

Lesson Learned: The beauty about love is it has no clear definition. It comes in all shapes, sizes and forms and sometimes unanticipated. Just remember to embrace it and pay it forward. There's always someone who can use some reminding of how much you care for them.