Summer of 2009 in Minnesota

This summer has been a bit of a disappointment. I like being able to swim and be in the sun and sweat every now and again. Alas, Minnesota said, no chance sweetheart! Here it is August 1st and it is 74degrees(F). Oh and there is a tree outside my window that shows the signs of red leaves, what?????

Other than the weather I really can not complain. I have had fun with the family, friends and when possible getting a tan. Turns out I look so much better with a tan than without.

I just returned from a trip to Indianapolis where I saw my parents and was there with my family when dad had to go to the radiologist to determine if he needs radiation therapy after his chemo.

The good news is that dad may be in his late 70's but his body is more like 69/70. The doc was impressed. The good news is that there is no cancer that they can see in the PET scan, the bad news is we, as a family, need to make a decision of if dad wants to do radiation. I think he will do it for peace of mind. The last thing any of us wants is that in a year, he goes for a check up and they find another tumor and have to start from square one.

It is interesting what life throws at you, my sister Aliki, said something very interesting today, that why look at Cancer as a bad thing, what if we looked at it as an event that allows my parents to take a new chance on life, what it allows them to say to heck with all this we are leaving and moving to Greece, or wherever, why stay in a place that makes them unhappy. I liked that. It is a bit of a wake up call.

My dad was lucky, he had stage 1 non-Hodgkin lymphoma, it was caught at a very early stage and is the most "curable" of cancers.

It also turns out that my family kicks ass! We are always there for each other. No matter what is going on with each other we are all there to support, it never falls on just one of us. It falls on all of us, but Fall is such a bad/negative word, what it should be more like, is a challenge which allows us to all come together and participate. I am lucky to have a family like mine. My Aunt Marina, mothers sister, is visiting at the same time and it is wonderful to be able to have her part of the discussion.

Speaking of family, recently every time I visit my parents I am learning more interesting things about my grand-parents and great-grand parents. Turns out they were even more amazing than I thought. I come from very good stalk, and I am very proud.

This time around i found out that on my mothers side, the Kamitsis family, is a very philanthropic and giving family. When it came to any Greek form Constantinople/Smirni or any Asia Minor to come Palestine/Jerusalem, the family to talk to was my family, the Kamistis, they took care of everyone, my great grandfather built Mills in Palestine, he also helped a lot of people become settled in Palestine when they left Constantinople. He built a house just for immigrants coming into Palestine to help them get situated, provide lodging, food, money for the whole family until they were able to stand on their own two feet. Their name is still remembered. I also found out that when the 1948 war started and turned Palestine into Israel my family suffered beyond just loosing their homes, and mills, etc, they suffered more because they could not take all of the families that they were caring for to safety, they had to leave them behind. All they could take is a table cloth full of family heirlooms, clothes, food. My great grandfather/mother took this too heart and always felt a sense of guilt.

Recently, my Aunt Marina, met a man that after some discussion realized who she was and was almost in tears, because he was alive and successful because of the Kamitsis family,( my great-grandfather) helped his father with food, lodging, and work and because of that he was able to build a business that continues to thrive today and made this man a very wealthy man. It brought tears to all of our eyes.

I am thankful for who I am and where I come from everyday. I have a heritage and tradition that I am extremely proud of. I am very proud to call myself a Greek from Palestine. Not a Greek from Greece. A Greek from Asia Minor whose family (both mom and dad's side ended up in Palestine) that when push comes to shove really is where all the good stuff comes from!