My roommate’s mom is in town from Mexico.
A little backstory:
Roomie Juan told me that while a young man in his twenties, he had to force himself from his mother’s home because he was becoming too soft.
She would do all his cooking and cleaning and laundry and made his life a breeze.
Now, most would not want to give up this life of luxury, but Juan is a man of purpose and intention, cut from a different cloth….(I’ll save stories about him for future episodes).
So anyway, Juan’s mom has been staying with us for a few weeks and she’s your classic loving, homey domestic abuelita, just as Juan described.
For example, the other night there were just two plates in the sink and I began to wash them.
Senora (I don’t know her name, I always just address her as “Senora”) was up from that table in a flash, and told me “yo lavo” (she wanted to wash the dishes).
I refused her assistance, which I quickly learned was a mistake.
Senora opted to stand closely next to me–so close she was almost touching me, and stare down at my hands washing the dishes in the sink, until I was finished.
I learned that if I wasn’t going to let her help, she was at least going to supervise me.
She even lingered by the sink for a few moments after I was done, perhaps in case any rogue dishes made their appearance within her line of vision.
Fast forward to last night in the kitchen, and you would’ve seen Senora peeling mountains of fresh garlic at 9:45pm, in anticipation of whatever deliciousness she’s cooking today.
All this to say, the Power of the Abuelita is strong and steadfast. When she leaves this world, Senora will leave a legacy of love and service to her family and friends.
How could she ever be repaid?
She couldn’t, nor would she ever request such a thing.
But, her children can honor her and her legacy, by making sure the practical loose-ends are taken care of.
Her children can ensure the proper legal paperwork is in place and handled, so the family can grieve her loss without any distractions.
As an estate planning attorney, tying up those loose-ends so the family can enjoy even greater peace of mind, while living–that’s my job!
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