I'm pretty sure that all of my readers and friends know about my little heart breaker of a brother, Alec. He's the talented, funny, smart, good-looking kid that everyone pretty much falls in love with - he's simply awesome. And just like Jason said...he got all the good genes...except -- Dana, you are so gorgeous and I'm totally obsessed with you.
Anyways, growing up I had a little trouble finding my faith. It took a lot from me to understand my religion and what it meant to me. I asked a lot of questions, and I know at times my dad had trouble listening to me speak out about my curiosity for other religions and cultures. My parents raised me to believe in Church on Sundays, CCD once a week, Communion, Baptism, and the Virgin Mary bearing a son to whom was our Savior. I believed in it because my mom and dad told me to. Not because I really understood it. Until Alec was born.
In Lebanon, there is the Shrine of the Virgin Mary. It is one of THE most amazing and beautiful places anyone could ever visit. The serenity, peace, and love you feel when you visit is something that can never be felt anywhere else in the world. It's breathtaking.
My dad went on a trip to Lebanon back in 1999 with a close friend of his. At the time, my family was under some financial turbulence and my mom had just miscarried a little boy. Without going into much more detail, you can imagine how heartbroken my dad was. He was facing trouble on every front of his life and was at a loss for hope and words. On this trip though, he stopped at the Shrine of the Virgin Mary one night and lost the whole night being there. He prayed, and cried, and hoped for better health, better finances, and a son to carry the family name from his side, not only my uncles. He prayed and promised the Virgin Mary that if she was to help him overcome this tough time he would come back and walk from the bottom of her mountain to the top where she stood. (My dad is a diabetic, has weak legs from the days he fought in the Lebanese civil war, and of course, the inevitable high blood pressure issues that come with diabetes.) He was in no way medically fit to walk such a tough path that is estimated to be about 5 - 6 hours in journey on foot. We all thought this was so absurd to make a promise that would jeopardize his health in so many ways. But regardless of our thoughts, he had already made the promise. He would raise his unborn son to pray to her and believe in her and he would bring us all to her to thank her. I don't think my dad can even explain how he felt.
He came back from that trip a new person. Shortly after my parents moved us into a new home, and my dad's health came back full force. Fast forward about ten months after his return from that trip...Alec was born.
His birthday is September 8. As Catholics, we celebrate the Virgin Mary's birthday on September 8. My brother is also a Virgo, which derives from the term "Virgin". Although he might not appreciate that a few years from now, the symbolic meaning behind it is remarkable.
When it came time for him to be Baptized, my parents decided to have him blessed (like my sister and I) at the Lebanese church in Washington, DC. The only date available for the priest to baptize him that spring was May 6. May is the month of the Virgin Mary. Without second thoughts, my parents agreed and on the feast of his baptism, they learned from the priest's sermon that it was the 40th day after Easter that year. It was the day of Jesus' Ascension into Heaven. Every year this feast falls on a different day due to the Easter calendar, but in 2001, it fell on the day my brother was being baptized.
My brother's first steps (without any help) were outside in our backyard where my dad has built a rose garden around our own statue of the Virgin Mary. And beyond each and every one of those super crazy coincidental occurrences, my brother's first word ever spoken was "Adra" which is Arabic for the Virgin Mary.
Now hit fast forward one more time...
Finally it was time for our family to go back to Lebanon to visit for the summer and for my dad to pay his respects. The first thing he had to do when we arrived was go visit the Shrine and thank Her for everything she had done for him and our family in the year.
Guess what? My dad walked the entire mountain, from bottom to top, in a little more than 2 hours. He got to the top, where we were waiting for him, completely drenched in sweat but with the biggest smile on his face. It's a moment I will never in my life forget. My brother went straight to my dad, and they walked up to the Virgin Mary together. Alec pointed to Her repeatedly telling my dad that was "Adra". My dad tested his sugar levels, and everything was perfectly normal, his heart rate was normal and his blood pressure was completely stable. It was as if he hadn't just exercised or done any activity at all.
To some of you this might just be all one big coincidence. And that's understandable. In a world with so much hate and crime, it's hard to believe that things like this are considered miracles. But this time in my family's life is so special to each of us.
So here's my tattoo:
A few pictures of the Shrine of the Virgin Mary:
Love you, Alec!
Anyways, growing up I had a little trouble finding my faith. It took a lot from me to understand my religion and what it meant to me. I asked a lot of questions, and I know at times my dad had trouble listening to me speak out about my curiosity for other religions and cultures. My parents raised me to believe in Church on Sundays, CCD once a week, Communion, Baptism, and the Virgin Mary bearing a son to whom was our Savior. I believed in it because my mom and dad told me to. Not because I really understood it. Until Alec was born.
In Lebanon, there is the Shrine of the Virgin Mary. It is one of THE most amazing and beautiful places anyone could ever visit. The serenity, peace, and love you feel when you visit is something that can never be felt anywhere else in the world. It's breathtaking.
My dad went on a trip to Lebanon back in 1999 with a close friend of his. At the time, my family was under some financial turbulence and my mom had just miscarried a little boy. Without going into much more detail, you can imagine how heartbroken my dad was. He was facing trouble on every front of his life and was at a loss for hope and words. On this trip though, he stopped at the Shrine of the Virgin Mary one night and lost the whole night being there. He prayed, and cried, and hoped for better health, better finances, and a son to carry the family name from his side, not only my uncles. He prayed and promised the Virgin Mary that if she was to help him overcome this tough time he would come back and walk from the bottom of her mountain to the top where she stood. (My dad is a diabetic, has weak legs from the days he fought in the Lebanese civil war, and of course, the inevitable high blood pressure issues that come with diabetes.) He was in no way medically fit to walk such a tough path that is estimated to be about 5 - 6 hours in journey on foot. We all thought this was so absurd to make a promise that would jeopardize his health in so many ways. But regardless of our thoughts, he had already made the promise. He would raise his unborn son to pray to her and believe in her and he would bring us all to her to thank her. I don't think my dad can even explain how he felt.
He came back from that trip a new person. Shortly after my parents moved us into a new home, and my dad's health came back full force. Fast forward about ten months after his return from that trip...Alec was born.
His birthday is September 8. As Catholics, we celebrate the Virgin Mary's birthday on September 8. My brother is also a Virgo, which derives from the term "Virgin". Although he might not appreciate that a few years from now, the symbolic meaning behind it is remarkable.
When it came time for him to be Baptized, my parents decided to have him blessed (like my sister and I) at the Lebanese church in Washington, DC. The only date available for the priest to baptize him that spring was May 6. May is the month of the Virgin Mary. Without second thoughts, my parents agreed and on the feast of his baptism, they learned from the priest's sermon that it was the 40th day after Easter that year. It was the day of Jesus' Ascension into Heaven. Every year this feast falls on a different day due to the Easter calendar, but in 2001, it fell on the day my brother was being baptized.
My brother's first steps (without any help) were outside in our backyard where my dad has built a rose garden around our own statue of the Virgin Mary. And beyond each and every one of those super crazy coincidental occurrences, my brother's first word ever spoken was "Adra" which is Arabic for the Virgin Mary.
Now hit fast forward one more time...
Finally it was time for our family to go back to Lebanon to visit for the summer and for my dad to pay his respects. The first thing he had to do when we arrived was go visit the Shrine and thank Her for everything she had done for him and our family in the year.
Guess what? My dad walked the entire mountain, from bottom to top, in a little more than 2 hours. He got to the top, where we were waiting for him, completely drenched in sweat but with the biggest smile on his face. It's a moment I will never in my life forget. My brother went straight to my dad, and they walked up to the Virgin Mary together. Alec pointed to Her repeatedly telling my dad that was "Adra". My dad tested his sugar levels, and everything was perfectly normal, his heart rate was normal and his blood pressure was completely stable. It was as if he hadn't just exercised or done any activity at all.
To some of you this might just be all one big coincidence. And that's understandable. In a world with so much hate and crime, it's hard to believe that things like this are considered miracles. But this time in my family's life is so special to each of us.
So here's my tattoo:
 |
| A cross with the number 8 looped in on my wrist; I also chose to have the 8 designed to look like an infinity symbol through a cross as a sign that my faith will never change . |
A few pictures of the Shrine of the Virgin Mary:
And of course, Alec:
I die with this story every time <3
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