"I WANT TO SEE LIFE!"- Abuela
It’s been five years since my grandmother died of lymphoma.
“Abuela,” we all used to call her. She was the life of family gatherings and now we’ve gradually learned to live without her.
The uniqueness of our family, and dare I say most Latin families, is that we are a close knit. Like a hand-knit sweater, a slight snag in our familial pattern and the whole piece falls apart.
Knitting comes to mind because Abuela loved knits, so much so that she was buried in the vibrant purple beanie my boyfriend hand-knit for her as a Christmas gift. Abuela loved her beanie and we loved Abuela for being unconventional and covering her white locks in wool during those hot summer Los Angeles days. But mostly, I loved Abuela for accepting people for who they are, including me and welcoming my boyfriend into the family and graciously wearing his beanie as a sign of love and acceptance. Abuela loved purple and in wearing that beanie she quietly showed her love for me.
As mother’s day is just a few days away I’ve been thinking a lot about Abuela, the nucleus of our family. Having just returned from Los Angeles, I missed seeing her at all the family functions I attended.
During my last evening in Los Angeles, my mother shared something over dinner that has stuck with me ever since. Just a few days before her death, Abuela asked my mother to take her outside, to the sidewalk, “I want to see life!” she exclaimed.
We are lucky to be able to see life on a daily basis, but unfortunately we often get caught up in the mundane that we miss out on the daily wonders and beauty each day brings. I’ve been pondering over this and I too want to see life. It is never too late to open your eyes and take it all in. Try it. You’ll be amazed.
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