cherish life.

So I just read through my very first post and I can't believe how much things have changed in just a few months! And I haven't updated this in a long time but maybe I'll start again...since I don't have much else to do this summer =)

Today I went to a funeral for my mom's cousin who I had never actually met. It was a Hispanic Catholic funeral so it was very...different from what I'm used to. And very interesting.
After the service, we were all gathered in the multi-purpose room of the church to eat and just be together. Throughout the day, I was introduced to so many wonderful people who turned out to be great-aunts, cousins, and close family friends. When my mom first told me about the funeral, a depressing, mournful scene popped into my head of everyone crying and wearing black. I was wrong on both counts. As I took a moment to look around, I realized that everybody was wearing white and instead of weeping and wailing, everyone was taking pictures, eating, laughing, and enjoying each other's company. And that's when I realized -- there's no need to mourn when you're surrounded by people who love you. Instead, we cherish the good times we have had and take advantage of the time we have left.

I felt so honored to have the chance to meet the wonderful people who had influenced my mother's life. And it was such a blessing for me to be in a room full of people who love me -- who really love me. I was in a room full of people that didn't care if my hair was frizzing from the humidity or that I wasn't wearing any makeup, but love me because of who I am -- Luisa Lynette Chil, an eighteen year old BYU Sophomore that is trying so hard to become fluent in Spanish so that I can get to know my family better before it's too late.

Life is short, so why not live every day like it's your last?

And now, I'm sitting at home, getting the couch ready for me to sleep on because my aunt and her family are staying in my room. My little cousins and I have just finished playing hide and seek, tracking down the cat, and telling knock-knock jokes to each other. I took a shower and saw a tiny shadow outside the shower curtain...I peeked my head around to see my little 3-year-old cousin there who had come in to show me a picture she drew for me. My uncles and stepdad just finished a loud game of domino's, yelling "capicua!" and making dents in the table and my mom is making a jacket to wear over her dress for a wedding tomorrow. And I am just so grateful for the family I have been blessed with and for the time I have to spend with them.