Timeless strength.

As I visited with my Abuelita this past Saturday night, I was just so content to sit with her. You know how you can just sit with someone who loves you, and it just feels so...right. I just sat there thinking
how precious it is, this time that I have with her. I have friends who never really knew their grandparents, maybe they passed away when they were young. This time that I have with my grandparents, it is a gift. Every moment that I can hear about their childhood, early adulthood,
and their lives is simply another opportunity to thank God that they are still with us.

I am amazed at my Abuelita & Papi's strength. They came here as foreigners, my grandfather as a Doctor, my grandmother as a homemaker, having already learned the language, but still having much to learn about the customs here in America. They have come to have many friends who love them as much as they love others. Just an example of how deliberate my Papi is; even today, my he always has a dictionary at hand, so that he can make sure to utilize the word with the most precise meaning in order to clearly articulate his thoughts. My grandmother raised 6 children, away from her family in a new foreign country, owned a gourmet catering business when they were older, and continues to make gourmet homemade bread and Bolivian delicacies for her children and grandchildren.

What a legacy. The close-knit family, culture, the rich language, the land, the stories, the history. On top of that, both of my grandparents love the Lord. My grandmother has the greatest faith to pray for things I have ever seen. She is such an intercessor, for all of her children, "grand babies", and friends. Papi is a fountain of wisdom, but he also keeps it light by joking around a lot. He likes to tell me stories, both humorous and moral, such as Aesop's fables. I remember walking along the Huckleberry Trail, as he told me tales from that famed Aesop, the wise story teller.

All of this is to say that I admire the strength of character that I have grown up observing in my grandparents. They inspire me to work hard to accomplish my dreams, yet also to enjoy the time that we have been given, to savor times with family while we have it. Here's to you, Papi and Abuelita. May you both have many more years, to see the grandchildren marry godly men and women, and then have some good looking offspring- your great grandchildren! I love you both so much.