I’ve always been maternal, as my best friend attests.

In retrospect, yes I can say I am. Not just because I know how to take care of babies and kids...

But because I know how to make each child feel special. I think that is the most important thing.

I have two nieces who are only a year apart and I took care of Cheska more than I did of Yanca.
I love all my sisters with all my heart, though admittedly I am much closer to Cheska’s mommy, I make sure my nieces will never feel as if they aren’t loved equally because they are both special in different ways and I will not miss any of that for the world.
 I thoroughly enjoy being an aunt to all of my nieces and nephews.

My girls! Yanca in Orange and Cheska in a flower dress

I guess this stemmed out from how I felt growing up. I never felt as equally, say, cared for when I was younger by my paternal aunts. Maybe because of the age gap, my cousins were much older than I was or maybe because we grew up far from them.

 But I remember feeling as if I was an outsider visiting my aunts while my much older cousins see our same aunts as their parents as well.
I learned early on that one of the worse things you can do to a child is to make him feel you don't care for him because you favor someone else and I'm learning now that one of the worse things you can do to a parent is make her child feel left out. 

I do regret being not being as close to them. I thought when I was younger, preferences in the family is unavoidable. Maybe we weren’t just as loved the same way because they already have their “favorites.”

It is only now that I’m an adult and have a bigger family, I realized, Love doesn’t run out. Our hearts just get bigger.  

I only hope I can teach that to Hunter. I cannot shield him from feeling that way someday from people. There will be times he would feel rejected, or not as loved or accepted but as long as he is true to himself and know that he has a loving family, it is okay.
Yes, baby it is alright.

I like to think that when I became a mom, I became a better person. I’ve always thought I’ll be one of those mama bears who come rushing to their babies each little whimper but I’m not.

That is because I know in my heart he needs someday to face heartaches, rejections and failures to make him the person that he is supposed to be.

You are so loved, Hunter. Remember that. 
We do miss everyone back home, yes home is in Chicago and I'm sure they miss you too, big guy.