Have you ever walked into the middle of two people's conversation? You catch bits and pieces of the conversation. I remember a time at my grandmother's house. I came from the back room into the kitchen to find my grandmother and mother sitting at the table deep in conversation. Their faces were serious and I could sense the emotion was tense. Based on the pieces of the conversation I could understand they were speaking of someone who had just passed away and the horrible betrayal they had endured. The more I listened the more concerned I became. So concerned I built up enough courage to interrupt them and ask "Who has died?" The question just laid there for what seemed like an eternity in the air. My mother and grandmother looked at each other and smiled. Leaving me more confused. Then they rattled off the character's name from the Spanish soap opera they both had been watching last evening! 

Do you ever just need something to look forward to? It may be a vacation, a date, a new experience, or a new beginning. They each represent a promise. A promise of relaxation, excitement, broader horizons, or a fresh start. Regardless of the promise it has the same effect on us emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually. It is a positive effect of motivation, endurance, and perseverance. We know if we can just endure a little longer there will come the day we get to sign-off and leave for that vacation, purchase that new outfit for the date, exploration is on the horizon, or newness of life is in our grasp. 

Do you ever feel stuck? You feel as if you cannot move. This feeling could be literal as in you are physically paralyzed or  could be metaphorical as in your thoughts are clouded or blocked. The feeling of stuck either way is very real and can be discouraging. Often when battling this situation depression sets in and begins to cause us to spiral into hopelessness. This is why the summer I spent as an intern at a rehabilitation center were all patients were receiving physical therapy for their physical disability spoke so profoundly to me spiritually. 

Life is ever changing. Change in essence is what it means to be living. I was working this week with my kindergarten aged son on a writing assignment where he had to describe a lifecycle. At every stage of the lifecycle regardless of which living creature we observed there were major changes to denote the next stage in the cycle. Internal growth was occurring as prevalently as the external growth we could see with our naked eyes. If change comes with growth and growth represents we are living why do we dread change so much? Where does this desire for stability come from?

In the Hispanic culture the elderly are well respected. Especially the matriarch! Her wisdom and way of life are passed down from generation to generation through stories, meal recipes, and special celebrations. As a child I saw my Abuela (grandmother) almost every day, which allowed for me to hear her stories and experience her cooking first hand. Slowly without me noticing I began to treasure and identify with the hardships my family endured to ensure the next generation like me lived a more opportunistic life. Although my Abuela had only made it to the eighth grade, her wisdom surpassed anything that could be contained to a text book and four walls of an institution. As I sit here writing today, I see her legacy and wisdom live on and transcend physical space and time, for it lives in me.