Daily Inspiration: Three: My Mother

You have heard me talk about my mother before so of course she is one of my biggest inspirations. How could she not be? This Polaroid photo was taken perhaps a year or two before my mother became ill. Gosh my dad liked his Polaroids. I defiantly would like to own one someday hehe I have one of these photos with my mom and brother too so I think she was having fun hamming it up with us.

My mother was born on March 5th, 1949 in Moca, Puerto Rico. I don't know a lot about her family other than that her father passed away when she was young, her mother's name was Emilia, and she had about four or five brothers and sisters. I didn't grow up with a lot of cousins, just one from my dad's side because when she passed her family seemed to walk away from knowing us.

My mother when she was nine~1958

I know she came to America when she was a young girl and she still had this amazing Puerto Rican accent (I have a cassette tape of her voice!). Okay when you hear Jennifer Lopez speak-that is NOT a Puerto Rican accent. Its what us New Yorkers would refer to as a Ghetto-Rican accent. Its from speaking Spanglish and not Spanish and its more street and urban. Nothing wrong with that, but the authentic Puerto Rican accent and authentic Spanish speaking Puerto Ricans....well its music to my ears. Its just so pretty and sweet and soft. My two great-aunts speak beautifully as well and its well worth speaking to the natives if you ever travel to that island because well they just sound so lovely *sigh*

I know I have shared this photo before but its my favorite 

one of them~its literally their very first kiss!

I know that she was engaged to another man when she met my father, but it was an arranged marriage set up by her mother and she didn't love the man. My parents fell in love immediately and married in 1971. My brother came in 1972 and then a few years later I came. I know my mother's biggest dream was to be a mother. How ironic because that was my biggest dream. I know that she adored us and not one hair on our head was out of place. I am very much the same in my mothering as she was which I find neat. I know she learned how to sew on her own and would make me dresses, shirts, and skirts. She was tough but very loving and not one day did I ever feel like she didn't like me or love me.

My mama around 1982 I believe.

I would sit and watch her as she would groom herself. She was very stylish and took great care of herself. She would eat well and exercise (Jane Fonda videos hehe) and she was just very, very feminine in every way. I admired that-I still do.

Now my daughter sits and watches me and I love every minute. I remind myself how I felt when I watched my mother and remind myself how important mommy and daughter bonding really is.

Why does this women who I barely know inspire me everyday? Well....when I look in the mirror I remember that I am alive because of her. And because of her I get to love my husband and children. I remember how young she was and I try to not only make her proud of me but also make sure that I enjoy every moment I can. I do this in memory of her and out of respect for the life she lived. I feel passionate about remembering her yet all I have is a small handful of memories.

BUT what I do have that is bigger and better than those memories~I have myself and through me I have my children. So through us she lives and because of her we get to create more memories and we get to celebrate her life. I named my daughter after her and she knows that Grandma Rosa is in Heaven. I teach my children about her because she is their grandmother and because I know how she loved us, she would have loved her grandchildren even more.

This fall she will become a grandmother of six. My brother is expecting with his girlfriend and I cannot wait to see that new little life come into this world. Another part of her will live on...as will parts of our father, grandparents, and us. Life is so amazing isn't?

In what ways does your mother (grandmother) inspire you?

xox