April Recap! Not in Miles, but in Moments!!

April..oh April!! What can I possibly say about the best month EVER!!! Since I’ve already recapped my birthday celebrations and the first part of the month and also my First Marathon, I won’t go into details about those. What I do want to very proudly share is that I’m now a Naturalized Citizen of the United States :)

This was one of those big life moments that I alluded to at the beginning of the year, but was not ready to share until it was all official. After years of waiting and 5 months of processing last Friday in front of a Judge, my family and friends, me and 88 other soon-to-be fellow-countrymen took the Oath of Allegiance to the United States of America!

My emotions were high and I had to hold back the lump in my throat and tears that were starting to well up as I pledged allegiance to the flag. The Star Spangled Banned which I had heard hundreds of times before took on a whole new meaning as I placed my hand over my heart and recited the words for the very first time! For those of you who are born here, don’t ever take for granted this wonderful country you and I call home. It is not perfect and it has its faults, BUT the freedoms and rights we all enjoy as Citizens of this country are something we should all be very proud of and cherish every day! I’m just so incredibly happy to be able to weave my own little part into this incredible tapestry!

To all my friends who were there to share and celebrate this moment with me, THANK YOU and I LOVE YOU ALL!! You have always made me feel like I truly belonged here and am one of you! I never felt out of place or like I was outsider and that is because of all of you!!

To Keith, Sharon, Edna, Cameron, Christine, Connor and Cennagh, my In-Laws who welcomed me with arms wide open into the family, THANK YOU and I LOVE YOU!! If I could only tell you how much your love, support and lives have impacted my decision, I would! Your lives and experiences have carved this path for me!!

To my Mom and Brother who have supported me in this decision, I LOVE YOU and MISS YOU so much! You always remind me that my Sri Lankan roots, culture and heritage are an integral part of me and its something I will always cherish and share when I have a family some day!!! I only wish that you were there to share it with me, but know that You are both always there in Spirit!!

My most cherished THANK YOU and LOVE YOU is for my wonderful hubby!! None of this would be possible without your love, support and faith in me! This is a very, very special moment for us both and while I’m happy for me, I’m happier for you as I know how much you wanted this for me!! I can’t wait to see what life has in store for us now!!!