Treze de maio-letra

In this song the faith of my father grows...

A treze de maio na Cova da Iria
No céu aparece a Virgem Maria
Ave, ave, ave Maria
Ave, ave, ave Maria

A três pastorinhos, cercada de luz
Visita Maria, a mãe de Jesus
Ave, ave, ave Maria
Ave, ave, ave Maria

A mãe vem pedir constante oração
Pois só de Jesus nos vem a salvação
Ave, ave, ave Maria
Ave, ave, ave Maria

Da agreste azinheira a Virgem falou
E aos três a Senhora tranquilos deixou
Ave, ave, ave Maria
Ave, ave, ave Maria

Então da Senhora o nome indagaram
Do céu a mãe terna bem claro escutaram
Ave, ave, ave Maria
Ave, ave, ave Maria

Se o mundo quiserdes da guerra livrar
Fazei penitência de tanto pecar
Ave, ave, ave Maria
Ave, ave, ave Maria

A Virgem lhes manda o terço rezar
A fim de alcançarem da guerra o findar
Ave, ave, ave Maria
Ave, ave, ave Maria

Com estes cuidados a mãe amorosa
Do céu vem os filhos salvar carinhosa
Ave, ave, ave Maria
Ave, ave, ave Maria
Ave, ave, ave Maria
Ave, ave, ave Maria

Natasha Elena

Use All Your Senses

I remember the smell of fresh coffee even though i did not drink coffee at the time. Every morning in the tropical weather of Angola my grandmother would have a pot of coffee on the stove. And as the steam flew from the kitchen to the rest of the house it would wake us up like a sweet alarm clock. The smell was truly a temptation and i remember tasting a "Galão" for the first time. It was aromatic, sweet and the kick of the fresh coffee had me jumping off the walls.

Life then was great for a 6 year old. I was just the right age to start school in a new country and starting to learn a new language. It all felt like a big adventure!!!

My mother then had long long hair down to her waist, she had had it permed to have long beautiful curls. I remember my mother as the most beautiful woman i have ever known and my father was to me the strongest man on earth. My friends at school and i would argue about who was the strongest man; and they just could not understand the concept that my father was way stronger than any superhero in any comic book or TV series.

My sister was only 2 years older then me but she seemed older as she would enjoy adult company more than my childish companionship. She used to look out for me at our new school and wherever else we were together. At home I used to like spending hours at a time playing in the garden or even closed in my room. My imagination would take me places no vehicle could.

Speaking about vehicles... My grandfather used to own a little car that even though time took its toll on it, it still took us places. It seemed like the car's color used to be red but now it was left with a faded color of something between red and brown. Whenever my family and i would pack ourselves in the car people used to point and laugh as we drove by; such was the state of the poor car. I guess this would of embarrassed me if i were a little older, but at the time i found it extremely amusing.

I remember wanting to be older than i was at the age of 6 or 7. When the time came to pick out my first school bag; my dad helped me choose it. It was red and simple with no pictures or cartoon characters on it, unlike all the other girls in my class. I though it made me look older and even maybe a little cooler. So you can imagine how chuffed i felt when one of the boys at school told me that he thought my bag was cool! That was probably the first compliment i ever got from the opposite sex of my own age group.

It seemed so much different here in Angola than it was in Johannesburg. My grandfather and i would go out in the morning to fetch fresh bread; ladies of all colors and ages would be at the neighborhood park kneading bread on the floor and baking the bread in ovens made from clay. They would lay large pieces of plastic to protect their dough from the ground and the whole area smelt like a bakery. By lunch time all the ladies would have packed their things and left.

Angola then was still recuperating from civil war and soon to break out in to a new one. I remember how Jonas Savimbi was running for government against the MPLA and that us, as young children would be super happy to receive the campaign  gifts that were given out to the public. I remember my grandfather being pro-Savimbi and my grandmother was a supporter of the opponent party. My grandmother in order to get us children to stop fiddling with our noses would say... 'If you play with your nose it will end up looking like Savimbis!' I guess this was the first political experience i was consciously involved in.

I remember playing with all the children of our neighborhood. Some of my friends had darker skin than mine and some of my friends looked just like i did. Some of my friends were not allowed to come play with me when i was playing with my darker skin friends, and when that happened i would have to go visit them at their home as they were not allowed to come play at the park. 
Our park was not that great when you come to think of it. All the playground toys had been broken; and i once fell of the seesaw because it did not have handles to hold on to. In someways the whole of Luanda was like our neighborhood park. A beautiful place where everyone of every skin color loved to gather. A place that has been damaged from the consequences of war but still holds all the natural beauty that mother nature has to give. I remember picking tropical fruits to eat from the treas. Our back yard had paw paw trees, coconut trees and a fruit that i never ever more encountered in my life which my grandfather used to call "Sap sap"; i latter found out that it was called soursop fruit. In Luanda i got to taste my first sugar cane; before that i don't think i knew where sugar came from. This country tough me many things even though at the time i had no idea that class was in session. In Luanda i learnt how to pray. Not that i did not pray before i came to Luanda, but then is when i was taught how to do it formally. I learnt the "Our Father" prayer in Portuguese and another one for protection. I never ever forgot these prayers and i never stop using them.

We would dance! Dance freely with no steps and no rules. The music came from the inside out and it was pure fun and joy. We would laugh at ourselves dancing and there was no shame and no embarrassment.

Sometimes i feel like Luanda is paradise in disguise somewhere where all people of any color can live together and be happy; My family and i had went to the beach one day. I remember feeling so exited to see the beach for the first time. In Johannesburg no one ever mentioned going to the beach. Now the beach was just a short drive from home. As we sat on the white fluffy sea sand i noticed that there was another family at the beach that day. The mommy of the family had dark skin and the daddy had light skin. They had two boys who were probably bout my and my sisters age and both of them had different color skin. I had never seen such a colorful family before.



So basically these are a bunch of my childhood memories from the time that my family and i lived in Luanda. What am i trying to say? Well, i am trying to say that when you are a child, your mind is open. You see new things and take them in with excitement. You will remember the smells, the tastes and the experiences and create an opinion. So, don't let your kids sit in front of a TV set or on the PC all day long... Put a pot of coffee on the stove, bake a cake, throw some cookies in the oven and let the smell create a memory. Go out and play. Meet your neighbors even if their skin color is different from yours. Grow fruits and vegetables in your garden, pick them and eat them; your children should know where the food they eat comes from. Don't forget to dance! Why? Because its fun and it doesn't matter if you know the steps or not. Teach your children how to pray and do it just once; Provide them with the tools and they can choose if they want to use them or not.

Don't forget where you came from and where you have been; 

And don't forget what those places have taught you.

xoxo Natasha Elena G.

When you were in my tummy

I was trying to remember what it felt like when you were in my tummy...
At first it was just a little twitch, and i would wonder if it was you starting to move or maybe just my body playing tricks on me.
Slowly you got stronger and bigger and there was no more doubt that you were learning to move your arms and legs. I would look forward to those moments and sit up starring at my tummy.
In no time you were moving upside down and top to bottom and my tummy looked like a jelly balloon wobbling from side to side. You were so funny! Already showing preference to the music you liked and got your dance moves every-time your jam would come on.
Most of all, you liked the car... when i was driving of seated at the passengers seat you used to tumble and i would have to hold on to my tum tum to make sure you stayed safe in place.



The last time i went to the cinema, you were in my tummy!
Your daddy and i liked going to the movies and never skipped a superhero film on the big screen. You seemed to love it too. I can't wait until you are a little bigger to take you to your first cinema movie. I remember my first movie on the big screen... I sat with my family at the very front row and felt like it was magic as the "Three Musketeers" film started to play. Now the first "Batman v Superman" movie is out and we are waiting for it to be released to watch it at home with you. It will be a while until we can visit the cinema. But we will do it as a family and it will be great.

Remember! Take a moment to stand back and take things in. Look at the look on your loved ones faces. Make a memory and keep it! Keep it safe, keep it in your heart and allow the warmth of that memory to snuggle you on the cold days and on the sad days. It will be ok to have sad days because you have good memories and you will have the opportunity to make more.

xoxo

Natasha Elena

Make Friends

Find people that make you laugh; Who are easy to talk to and who make the silence comfortable. These are the people who you choose to spend your time with. These are the people you will call friends.

Personally i have never been the kind of person to phone my friends up to talk about my day, my feelings and emotions. I tend to express myself better in other ways such as writing and that is ok. Not everyone will "get you" but that just makes it that much more special when you find those few that do.

The people that get your sense of humor and that you can totally feel free to be yourself when you around them; sometimes if you are lucky enough you will find at least one person that is "your person ".

I don't think of my self as the best example of a good friend. I would much more prefer that my children get their friendship skills from their dad. He is probably the most genuine person I know. He has made friends in his childhood that are still considered good friends today. He makes friends really easy too; making a friend while you on your way taking out the trash, is a great skill to have.

I on the other hand have lost touch with a lot of  people who I hold close to my heart. Sometimes life just sails in different directions and ways part. I am shy, even though I try to hide it. I am socially awkward and try my best to make conversation with others. Most of the times what is in my head and what comes out of my mouth differ so much, that I even surprise my self. And in a society that sometimes feels like my own after 20 years and other times feels so far from what I know; I feel lost. So I surround myself with the people who see my worth without me having to explain it, and who know that I am willing to offer whatever I can freely without feeling forced. Unfortunately these people are few but cherished.

The value of a good friend is priceless and I hope I can pass this notion on to my little ones so that their life may always be filled with good companionship and laughter. I guess I can only teach them to be genuine, true to who they are and kind to others; friendship should follow.

If you going to be a friend, be a good one.

Natasha Elena G.

Believe it

Many Sundays have come and gone without me sitting in a church seat.

Does this make me a sinner?  

I have never been one to think that if i am not in church God can't hear me. Besides, my belief does not lay in the 4 walls of the church but in the love that God has for all people no matter where we are.

I can not call myself a religious person as i do not follow all the churches rules and regulations. Nevertheless i do have faith and i want to believe that my faith is what brings me closer to God. Although i have been baptized and my wedding did take place in church, i can not say that i am a frequent visitor to the alter.
I do visit church now and then. Sometimes just to look at the the beauty of the "house of God" sometimes to send out a prayer, sometimes to ask for help and not often as i should to show gratitude.

I remember my Grandmother to be a very religious woman. She wore praying beads around her neck and everyday she would take the time to pray.
She would give what she could to the church and believed that everyone on earth has come with a "divine" purpose. My grandmother probably was the one to pass the value of faith on to my dad. My father has always been a good provider for his family. He has been working all his life to make sure his family is taken care of and that every need that his wife and children have are met. He gets up every morning for the past 65 years using his hands, physical labor and energy in to providing for his family. This he does out of Love.

Before he begins his day and as he starts the car to drive to his destination, he prays.

I'm sure my father has been afraid; but he never shows it.

I'm sure he has felt like crying; but he almost never does.

I'm sure he feels weak; but everyone sees his strength.

And where does he find this strength? In the faith he has in God.

I want my children to believe. To know that there is more. To never doubt that they will be provided for. To never doubt the strength God provides. I want them to be grateful and humble. But most of all i want them to know Love and to share love.

If this is something i am able to teach my growing family then i have succeeded as a parent.

xx

Natasha Elena G. 

My mother once told me my father once said

I don't usually write posts on my iPhone, but seeing as we are up and about this long week-end; here it goes...

When I was very little my mother told me, that before I was born God showed me all the families in the world and that out of all of them; I chose this one.

Even though I knew that this was not quite the way things worked; I understood what my mother ment by saying this to me. This was her way of explaining to me that no matter where I go In this world, that I would not find people who loved me more than my family. 

My father on the other hand would say 'You can choose your friends but your family is your family and you have to learn how to live and love one-another like it or not.' And this was his way of telling me that no matter how frustrating family members can be, how angry we may get with one-another or how much we wished we had a choice in the matter; that family was here to stay and that they were not going anywhere. 

Today I am a parent, and there is nothing more valuable for me to offer my children than the value of family and the knowledge that no matter what we will always be by their side. Like it or not!

Don't mistake us (my crazy family and I)  for one of those picture perfect families. We have been seen and heard in public arguing about the silliest things... We have cried out of frustration with one-another many many times. We have even said the harshest of words to one-another during those heated moments. But never ever have we let any of this break us apart. 

So no, we can't always be hunky dory (happy go lucky) but we are a family and we are all together to celebrate the good and hold hands when things get tough. 

Thing is, if you asked me about this years ago when I was a child. I may of not had the words to explain how this whole family thing works. But it didn't matter because the feeling was there! And I knew that no matter what, I had a backup system that was called "my family" and that was enough to hold me up wherever I was, or went or will go. 

Family has been the greatest gift that has been given to me. A gift that I will pass on and that never dies or goes away. We carry family with us where ever we are, even if their time with us here is passed. They are part of you and you of them; 

Xoxo

Natasha Elena G.

There will be happy days and we will all smile - There will be sad days and we will wipe eachothers tears.

So its been said that once you get married and have kids your life is basically over.

Bucket list's of things to do before you have kids have been written and rewritten as the times change.

Movies and books end with a wedding or the classic frame where the wife holds her baby bump; but what comes after that?... 

Do we just lock ourselves behind the walls of our home and behind the desk at the office? 

Do we leave everything that once seemed exiting for a mindset idea of what the lifestyle of a wife, a husband or a parent should be?

So here is the truth.

You come home from the clinic after giving birth to your first baby and the same sun that shined yesterday is still shining today. The only difference is in the way you look at the reflected light.

Your Baby has you in the world and no one else! It is up to you to welcome him and introduce him to the world and the way you look at it. From this introduction he/she will gain their own point of view and create opinions of their own.

So I have decided today to change the set idea of what life is like after marriage and having a child. And who am I? I am just a new mother who has made a conscious decision to show the best of what this world has to offer to my baby boy and share all these experiences with my husband. To gather memories as we go, to laugh when we are given the chance and wipe each-others tears when needed.

We are not rich and do not have the financial capability to drop everything and travel the world. We both work and bring in a decent amount of money to tackle our needs and luckily even some of our wants. But we are the ones that make the decisions; we decide what our priorities are and how we should spend what is left in our pockets.

So I will let today be the day that i live the life i have chosen to live. Because today i am here and i am lucky to have a wonderful husband and a precious baby boy and the best dog in the world.

There will be happy days and we will all smile, laugh and celebrate.

There will be sad days and on those days i will be there to wipe your tears.

Natasha Elena G.