The day she left.

The day She left

The news had nothing to report on her passing this morning. The news had nothing to say of the impact of her life on so many of us, but her children, her grandchildren, we will always remember our beloved grandmother. Ninfa Diaz. Our beautiful Ninfita, the most beautiful grandmother we could have ever asked for.

My grandmother was 92, she was born and raised in El Moro, a small rancho of Yuriria Guanajuato. She was married at 14, and had her first son my Tio Manuel at 15. My mom was her 5^th child. She was a hardworking mother, a kind woman and a brave soul.

I had the immense pleasure to live with her for two summers of my life, when I was 5 and 6. The age of my son, at the current time. She used to get up at the crack of dawn to go to El Molino and get started on her daily chores. Once I was talking to her on the phone, I work at a place where I have to be at work at 7:30 am, which is a little early for some of the jobs. At the time I was starting at 7:00 am, because of a flex schedule we have. She asked me on the phone, What time do I start work, I said 7:00 am. And she said, in the calmest tone and ease “Oh, ya tardecito”. Oh, a little late on the day. Remember what time she used to get up, I said “Si, ya tardecito”.

During the time I lived with her, she made it very clear that I was to help out. I was to get up with her and go to El Molino, help her make tortillas, help her wash dishes, feed the chickens, collect eggs, go with her to take lunch to my grandfather. So she would get me up at 7 am, and we would walk to el Molino, she would take me to get some bread at one of the two stores in El Rancho. Once we couldn’t find sweet cookies, so she bought me 5 ritz crackers. I don’t remember if I ate them, but as she never let me waste my food, I probably ate them.

She was the first one to let me have coffee, I still remember she made me a small cup of coffee with a ton of sugar, it was instant coffee, but I was hooked.

She also made me eat nopales, which at age 5, I had probably never had before.  I used to feast on frijoles y nopales while watching cartoons on the little time I had off from helping with Chores.

I always told her growing up that I loved her more than anybody else on the world, and she would tell me she loved me too. I used to ask if she loved me more than my other cousins, she would always tell me she loved us all the same.

When I would talk to her on the phone, here in USA, she would still asked me if I still liked nopales and frijoles, and I still do.

For Dia de Los Niños, she used to give us coins, wrapped on a tissue, it was the most awesome treasure we could receive.

When I was little, I asked her if she was in Love with my grandfather when she married him, she chuckled a little and said to me “ay hija! No todo es como te dicen en la novelas. No, eso del amor es solo para la television”. I should have learned that when I was 6…. Could have saved me some time.

I miss my grandmother, I love her and will always love her.