la nana

My grandmother died Sunday June 6. She was 86 years old. She was the symbol of strength in adversity I always looked up to. She and I got along like gangbusters. I think it's because I wasn't a knucklehead and tried hard in life like she did. She never let poverty knock her down.

She was always loving to my family and came to all of our births to give my mom a hand.

She was the oldest in her family and she had 10 children, 8 of whom are pictured here. Her last pregnancy resulted in the twins my mom and aunt Chela and when they were 12 her husband died and she raised them by herself and never remarried.

Her home was always a warm landing spot where there was always coffee and bread waiting and I know her home, regardless of her being there or not, will always be La Casa de la Nana.

She was hospitable 'til the end. My last visit, May 21, while she was under a lot of pain and medication, she still kept asking if we'd eaten and offering up my aunt to make us lunch. This is the last photo I took of her while she sat outside with us enjoying the breeze, before she became too exhausted and napped.

She had been very sick. She had two heart attacks on June 5 and was in a coma in the hospital with her children. When I got the phone call from my aunt Chela, she told us it was only a matter of minutes. We were all prepared. Her daughter called me the next morning to let me know that at 8am, my nana had passed away.

I was ready for the news. It still hasn't sunk in that she's gone and I haven't cried much. I wish I could have visited her more but I know she understood the distance. Nothing is left unsaid between us, I thanked her for everything she'd done and that I loved her very much and we had our moment of peace and love. I'm glad I got to see her a few times before she passed. I have two grandparents left, one that I've never met and one that I rarely see. But Matt's graciously loaned me his from now on.

The news of her illness were reminiscent of my sister having the baby. First there was a phone call that the person was in the hospital and then there was waiting and then the news of the time of death and birth. One new baby to love. One wonderful woman to remember.