Thanksgiving was always a special holiday for me and over the past few years it’s become even more important to me. I’ve always been one for family, I can’t go a day without the daily phone calls to my parents and sisters and now that I’m a Mamma that sense of family is even greater. Two years ago in June my husband and I welcomed a beautiful and healthy baby girl (my Sammy Baby) into the world and my life changed from the moment I laid eyes on her. Meeting her made me realize that I don’t need anything at all in life, just my family and there is nothing I wouldn’t do for them.
That October we celebrated her first Thanksgiving and again still in awe with our little and amazing princess we were forever grateful for this gift from God. Everything in life was good and perfect, there was nothing more we could ask for…little did I know that was all about to change. It was on Thanksgiving day in 2011 that my dad was admitted to Sunnybrook hospital for emergency surgery and we later learned that the obstruction that they removed from his colon was cancer. It was a hard news to swallow and so many thoughts started to rush through my head…How? Why? When? I was living a nightmare and there was no escaping it. It took a while to wrap my head around it and as awful as it was I was happy that it opened my eyes. Just a quickly as one day my father was totally fine and healthy the next he was in surgery and we didn’t know what was going to happen. I realized that we truly are blessed to be here on earth and we need to make the most of our time here. Take the time daily to let the people in your life know just how much they mean to you and how much you love them because you don’t know if you’ll be given the gift of tomorrow.
I’m happy to say that here we are fast forward two years and my blessings have grown from one daughter to two (with our newest addition Lily) and my dad is here and giving cancer the good ass kicking it deserves! I have a lot to be THANKFUL for and with each day that passes I look at my life and thank God for the wonderful gift of love and family he has given me.
Liliana & Samantha
Photo By: Lisa Crispo Photography