Once Upon A Time
They decided to move from their home in Juarez, Mexico to the United States.
The had many children, their first of whom was a boy.
They named their first born son Gomecindo, but most people called him "George".
Gomecindo grew up and married a woman named Isabel Vasquez.
Gomecindo and Isabel had 8 sons, their third of whom they named "Charles"
Charles grew up and married a woman named Corinne.
They had many children, one of whom was a girl they named Cambria.
Today I am here sharing that part of my family history with you.
My great-grandparents, Torivio and Juana passed before I was born.
My grandparents passed when I was quite young (aged 5 when my grandmother passed, 10 when my grandfather passed...) and so I never got to fully appreciate what they were like in life and who they were when they were younger.
But by the great fortune of meeting extended cousins and family members recently I have been gifted with some great stories of who they were- and I love stories.
When I read the emails from father's cousins I smiled warmly. It was the first time I have been able to get to know my grandparents. Here is an excerpt from one email-
When Uncle George was young he was also known as Lincoln and he was a fantastic pool player. My dad always said Uncle George was so strong he could knock anyone out with one punch.
............... One of my fondest memories of your grandmother was when we would ask her if she remembered our birthdays and she would be able to tell us all our birthdates correctly, we had six siblings and she knew them all. I don't know about you, but I have a hard time remembering my own childrens birthdays, let alone nieces...
Your Cousin,
C.
I suppose it is just a glimpse of 2 people who lived and loved. But when I read about my grandmother remembering birthdays I felt a flush of familial pride.
I too am great at remembering birthdates and know all of my nieces and nephews birthdays. (Sometimes I am a horrible aunt and forget to call them, but the love is implied- I swear.)
What else have I inherited from my lineage? Certainly I can blame my inability to develop calf muscles on someone, right?
More on who to blame coming soon...
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