Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Back to Real Life

My parents returned to Brazil this morning. They're flying there (to São Paulo) from Miami as I write this. They provided me with much needed help in the past year (August-September 05, Feb-Aug 06) so I could do the final push to finish the first draft of the dissertation and now I'm on my own to do the revisions and prepare for the defense. Wish me luck (and lots of stamina), because it's not going to be easy, with the two boys, the everyday chores, and husband and I applying for jobs (this takes time and energy as well, I know -- any advice on this is appreciated).

I'm thankful for their help and I'm aware that I'm very blessed to have had them here to help me. However, now I need to finish this Ph.D. on my own and I hope the exertion brings me confidence and strength for the years to come. We've been relying on my parents' yearly help since our first son was born back in 2002 and while they enjoy spending all this time with us (particularly with the boys), they also need to be able to travel and take advantage of their retirement years while they're still in good health. From now on I hope that their visits here are merely for pleasure, for us to travel together and enjoy each other's company.

I worried about their health and well-being while they were here, but thankfully they were fine and didn't have to use their health insurance even once. My mom is going to have thyroid surgery in the next few months and I hope she recovers nicely - she has an abnormal growth (benign) which needs to be removed and she'll have to take hormones for the rest of her life.

Well, that's it for now, I'll come back later with two memes that I was tagged for over a year ago, I think!! :)

4 comments:

Gabriella said...

Thank God for parents! When my daughter was born my mom stayed with me for about 3 weeks and it was heaven.

Aliki2006 said...

Oh, it must be hard to have them leave today. I wish my parents would come and stay for such a prolonged period--I'm sure I'd get some more work done then. When they do come it's only for a weekend, so we never get past that "holiday" feel of the visit.

Good luck hunkering down to work!

Juliet said...

It's wonderful having parents around to help. It's wonderful having them around in general. I am glad to you a nice time with them. Good luck with your dissertation, and good good to your mom with her surgery.

Alice said...

Good luck to your mom, I hope everything goes well! I know how hard it is to be the one staying behind and to see people leave, especially one's parents... Wishing you all the best for your dissertation, we're rooting for you!!! :)