My Mother’s Wisdom

Today is my mother's 84th birthday. I know that she is celebrating with all of my siblings in Guadalajara. I am sorry I cannot be there today with her. My mother has always been there for me in life.

This may sound a little corny, but she named me after the Virgin Guadalupe. She named me this because after having two kids she had a miscarriage and she was told she would no longer be able to conceive. She said that she had prayed and prayed to the Virgin Guadalupe and then, VOILA! I was born! For my mother I was a true miracle.

What's funny though, after I was born, she continued to get pregnant! So then she started praying (pleading) with the Virgin, to not send her any more miracles!

My mother is a very beautiful woman, and in her youth she was incredibly striking. She has piercing blue eyes and a very natural sense of elegance. I can tell you that I am not biased about her beauty; it is a fact.

My mother grew up in a very small town in Mexico and her childhood was hard. She was forced to take on very mature matters at an early age. She had to learn to play with the cards she was dealt. And when we were kids, and still now, she used wise expressions to get through or to understand situations. These same expressions have been passed down through the generations and I hear now even my sister’s grandkids using them!

I want to share with you some of these expressions—

• La edad no perdona — Time is indiscriminate 
  Meaning: Rich or poor/ugly or beautiful/kind or rude, age affects all.
   
• Todo recae en el dinero — It all comes down to money
  Meaning: This is self-explanatory!
   
• Puedes tener dos de muchas cosas, pero solamente tienes una madre
  You can have two of anything in life, but you will only have one mother
  Meaning: You can have multiples of anything, or you can even replace something that is important, but you can never have another one like your mother.
   
• El agua es vida — Water is life
  Meaning: Water is everything—without it we wouldn't be here.

These are just a few of the many expressions I grew up hearing her saying. I thank my mother for my name and the miracles in my life.