Anything But Typical

My beautiful friend, Rosalia

She wants to be a citizen of the United States.

She tells me about the endless opportunities here compared to where she is from...

Now, I consider myself to be a patriot...someone who loves this country and would fight to defend it... Yet, I never really thought about this before! Then again, I've never tried to help someone become

a U.S. Citizen before!

I quizzed her with the flash cards over and over, teaching her about our government and American history as we went....
You remember...the three branches, who ended slavery, George Washington, checks and balances, and Marco Rubio, one of our Senators here in Florida.

She gets a kick out of my patriotic fervor and apparently it's infectious, because as she started getting the answers right more often than wrong, she began clapping and cheering along with me! Ah, I LOVE  her..!! We've hit it off since day one.

Two years ago, I hired Rosalia as a household assistant and personal aide to me, but somewhere along the way, she has become a lot more.  A LOT more.
We get each other.
We're both women for starters...about the same age.
Moms, with intense passion and love for our children.
And we both have a desire to live life...to squeeze every drop out of this ride here on earth we possibly can!
We talk.
We listen.
We celebrate.
We share tears...
and we understand.
And, we have grown close.

My girlfriend is difficult to define.
She's definitely not typical.

Rosalia with her girls 

Born in Brazil, she is thoroughly Brazilian. (I learned that watching the World Cup with her last summer!)  But, she came to the United States as a twenty-something, knowing she was being called here. She was the first in her family to leave Brazil.  She always knew that this is where she belongs. I can't disagree. Her love of American freedom and opportunity, coupled with her amazing work ethic, makes her more 'American' than a lot of Americans.
Unfortunately.

But she's also a beautiful, passionate, caring woman. When men see her, they stare...so do most women. Yes, you don't forget Maria Rosalia once you've seen her.

Her children love, respect and adore her. Her daughter, Rachel, spent hours with her, preparing her for this test. She has raised 4 outstanding students and U.S citizens, while working her butt off. She has 3 daughters and a son...Her eldest daughter will be a physician soon. The others will be just as accomplished.

Complex.

"Let me get that Mrs. Ann! I don't know why you don't just ask me.."
She hates it if I try to wait on myself...

"Are we decorating the house for Christmas today, Mrs. Ann? ...Can I wrap gifts for you?"

"Do you need me to drive you to the doctor today?"

"What do you need me to do today, Mrs. Ann?"

You get the idea... She's a giver. She serves. She does. If it needs to be done, she comes in and wants to get right on it.
How rare is that?

And so I thank God for her...just as I do the other blessings in my life.

All of her hard work and preparation for this United States Naturalization/Citizenship test has taught  us both about what it means to be a legal immigrant in this country. It is not cheap. It is not easy.
It's hard.
It's painstaking.
There is a proper way. A right way.
The legal way.
And it should be like this.
Because it's worth something.

We have a remarkable history here. Ours is a country, fought and died for, many times over. There is a unique process to become part of what 'we the people' have built. To cheapen it with illegal immigration angers and saddens us both. We shake our collective heads. It's wrong. It sends the wrong message to those who have come here legally, to those who want to be legitimate
citizens.
It sends the wrong message to our enemies. Haven't we learned that?

Pathway to citizenship? We have that. Period.

And Rosalia is taking part in it.

"I know you'll be praying for me, right Mrs. Ann?"

"Yes. Absolutely. I'll be praying!"

Her test is coming up in a few days...and I will be praying for her to remember all that she's studied. God knows I want her to pass. Her joy will be my joy too.

I'm proud to call her my Brazilian friend and I'll be so excited and so proud to call her my American friend.

xx Peace My Friends

Rosalia and me at the Boca Hotel 

P.S. She passed!!