By Terra Avilla
This week’s feature is symbolic of how some of the world’s best things come back full circle. Watching Daylen Pajimola raise his family is that for me.
I have known Daylen, or as my family calls him “Day Day,” for approximately ten years. First as a young, eighteen-year-old boy, coming to Susanville to play baseball, all the way from Hawaii.
At that time, I made less of an effort to get to know all of the boys, but I still knew Daylen.
He was one of the very first boys I formed a relationship with, and one of the boys we trusted in our home.
I remember cheering for him on the field, and visiting with his parents when they would make the trek over to the mainland to watch their son play. (Always with delicious treats from their home to share with me and Frankie).
During his time here, he met a local girl, who he fell in love with. And let me tell you, it was obvious when he fell in love with her. He was so smitten! And, as luck would have it, Reina and Daylen would start their family here.
Daylen at the time, had no family here, outside of the one he was creating with his beautiful wife, so Frankie and I were happy to be his Susanville family, eventually, simply becoming his “family.”
I remember him telling us that Reina was pregnant… and that it was a boy, and I remember holding his son in my living room when Francisco was only days old.
I love being a part of his family. Daylen now helps Frankie and the team when he can, (he is a busy dad of two!) and it makes me happy to see not only Daylen on the field, but our children running around the bases – together. As a family.
Day Day’s family call us “Auntie” and “Uncle”, and my girls love their Uncle Daylen and Auntie Reina.
Daylen is always available to help us whenever we need anything. You see, if he thinks we were doing him a favor by being his family away from family – he is wrong. He did us a favor too.
Because Daylen is a part, a large part, of my Susanville Family… (sorry just family)
Daylen is a large part of my family, and he always will be. The beauty of small-town living.
Daylen, I am so happy you traveled the ocean years ago to play baseball here, but more importantly I am glad you are still here, because you are one of the reasons I love where we live.
