Tomorrow I leave Puerto Rico after a summer that will be unforgetable. Being with my mom who has been sick has been much harder than I ever thought it was going to be. It is hard on the soul to see someone you care about so much suffer and then it is just hard to care for someone. Today, the weather matched my mood about leaving. The ocean was fierce and wavy because of hurricane Fabian which is not going to hit here but still stirs up the waters around our shores. The waters were really fierce, thrustring everwhere, while large eddies of waters formed where sunbathers usually lie. Despite the fierceness, there was also a cool calm mist along the shore and even inland because of the sea spray. The normal tradewinds were noticeably absent too. I feel a lot like those waves and the mist. A lot of turmoil about leaving but also a sort of softer, kinder sadness and resignation about the whole affair. I will be back soon and hopefully those around her will help her out.

Despite what my mom is going through, she still has an amazing ability to delve deep into humor. One day a couple of weeks ago she told us about how “The Mafia Runs Away From ME,” noting all the times in her life that “mafiosos” would steer clear of her… She was being totally honest and found her phrase: “The Mafia Runs Away From Me” as a sort of humorous refrain. So, some friends in celebration of this most catchy phrase, printed a shirt in honor of my mom!