Someone asked me the other day what was my favorite recipe from my one of my Grandmothers and I could not think of any which then got me thinking as to what I had in fact inherited from my Grandmothers. I was raised being very close to both of my them and I realized that neither one ever tried to teach me how to cook. Hence, no recipes. They also did not teach me how to sew. Hence no scarves either. It seemed like I did not inherit the more traditional things that Grandmothers pass down to their Granddaughters. Instead they both were vested in ensuring that I would be a break from the norm. They wanted me to be an independent educated woman. But after a deeper look I realize that I inherited something much more powerful than a recipe. From my Grandmothers, I inherited prayer.
My maternal grandmother, Abuela as I liked to call her, died almost 2 years ago at the age of 103. She was an amazing woman. I remember her always being a small woman of few words. It never seemed like she ever had much to say except when it came to prayer. She had an amazing sense of faith. I remember her insisting on writing down prayers that she would come up with for me and then having my tech savy cousins email them to me in the US. The prayers always seemed to address the things that were ailing me at the moment. It was like she had a crystal ball. She lived her entire life in the Dominican Republic and I have lived in the US since I was 7. Yet despite the miles, she was always in tune with my spiritual well being. She just always seemed to know when I was troubled. Like cherised family recipes, my grandmother gave me prayers; a prayer for when my business was slow, a prayer for when my kids were sick, a prayer for focus and peace of mind. Till this day, I keep those prayers close by and always go back to them when I feel that I need a little extra help.
My paternal grandmother, Mamaro, who raised me like I was her daughter and who pushed me to equally learn two languages at age 7, was also deeply rooted in her faith. She also believed in the power of prayer. I remember going away for high school and loosing one of my favorite hoop earings on a rainy day at the local mall. I had called her upset and she said that she would pray to the image of the Baby Jesus (El Nino Jesus) and then about two days later I found the missing gold earing at the mall. Mamaro also prayed for me at all times. From her, I learned Novenas and how to do a Rosario. She is responsible for my affinity to the Virgin of Guadalupe (my patron saint). She made sure I did all the Catholic rites of passage. She died during my junior year in college and it was like the rug had been pulled from underneath me. She was my number 1 cheerleader. She wanted me to be a “Profesional.” I still keep one of her Rosary beads by my bed.
Like treasured family recipes, I keep the prayers and faith I learned from my Grandmothers close to my heart. I hope to be able to pass such an amazing legacy to my sons and future grandchildren.
A Trail of Glitter 