Dinner with the Marquez Family

My cousin Arlynne was in town so we decided to meet for dinner and she brought along her parents. What a treat! Uncle Armando is my dad's first cousin and best friend so our families spent a lot of time together growing up. Now that my dad is gone, I don't really get to see his side of the family too often so I was glad that Arlynne brought her parents. Arlynne, on the other hand, left Canada two years ago for the greener pastures of Ecuador to teach English. Norm and I loved listening to her work travelling stories, partly because it would be something we can see ourselves doing. I know she gets a lot of pressure from her parents to come back home but I applaud her for having the courage to go to a different country, learning a new language and meeting new people. I'm sure her parents only want what 'they think' is best for her - to come home and settle down. They asked me to talk to her (wrong person to ask) and although part of me would like her to come back home, I encouraged her to continue what she loves doing and being where she loves to be. Often times people expect the natural progression (graduation, job, marriage, kids, retirement) but people often judge when we don't do just that. I know all too well that God has a different plan for everyone so I expect Arlynne to explore the world at her own pace and to come home only when she is ready.