Past, Present, and Future

I am from washboards, from Zote, and rough hands. I am from the pastures that tamed pastoral creatures.(That clothed and fed us). I am from the corn, and tomato fields that my parents worked on long summer days. I am from home remedies and hard work, from Donnato and Alejandrina. I am from the stubbornness and pride that runs through my blood. From revolts held against injustice and colorful dresses that shimmer brightly for a celebration. I am from the Virgin Mary blessed upon our lips in prayer and our baby Jesus being swayed in a blanket to assure his peaceful sleep. I am from Matehuala, a long travel from the United states, tortillas and rice. From my grandfather stealing away his bride, to my aunt upstaging her little sister in a pageant she did not yearn to win. I am from oral stories, faded pictures, and albums hidden in secrecy, keeping our family lineage hidden for a later generation to explore. I am my mother’s daughter, my grandfather’s pride, flesh and blood to my ancestors, a story not yet completed. A line of power left in the memories we each pass on in our hearts and to our children. I am their past, present, and future.