For Mama Rosie on her 80th birthday~

I still have to tell your story, Mama.
About your life of adventure, challenges and risks…
Your wit and brilliance, your strength and power, your charm and beauty…
Stories of war and peace, fear and love, losses and triumphs…
Of fighting for love and winning…of remembering so as not to forget…
Summers spent sitting by the sofa listening to you take me back to times past…
Sharing herstories I will carry with me as your legacy…

I see them in black and white, painted photos, glam shots of the 50’s and the golden years of cinema…with your enchanting voice in the background, Soprano, singing usahay…

Te quiero, mi Abuela...I want our memories together to be forever preserved...you said earlier you still feel like your young self, you always were a child at heart and that's why it was always fun hanging out with you, you're game for anything and we'd always have a good laugh. Practically every suitor I had had to go through your enchanting spell...those were interesting times...you made sure I knew how to carry myself from head to foot, we'd swap make-up ideas and dressing tips, and talk about classic movies [and some pretty avant-garde ones] we love, music, and lots of coffee and hot chocolate, sharing tales of love, culture, tradition and life...of women and daughters, of sons, of mothers and fathers, of sisters, of land and of identity...I miss those times...and I long for more...Thank you Mama for choosing me to be your scribe...I will always be your biggest fan. Happy 80th birthday! May God keep you healthy and joyful always! Salut!