En memoria de una memoria

This week I received some sad news. A friend from college died from cancer. The crazy thing was that I had just asked about Lauro while we were on vacation. Every now and then he popped into my head and I wondered how he was and what he was up to. With this wonderful technology of Face Book, I looked to see if perhaps he was on there. Who knew there were many Lauros?

I met Lauro at Cal State Northridge in a history class. How could I not notice the fact that there was another Latino in the class and he was hella good looking. Lauro was not only "guapo" but a genuinely, super nice guy. We became friends and for a while he, Lizette and I hung out and went to the CSUN parties together. I had a secret crush but never said anything because the crushes I had never worked out, they didn't crush back but that's another story.

I don't know why we didn't stay in touch after graduation. Why is that? How many times have we formed these great friendships in high school, college and/or work and once that chapter closes, not everyone moves on to the next journey. You get busy with life and so focused on the now, until you hear a song, smell a scent or see something that brings that person vividly into your mind. For the most part, it is always a fond memory because what good does it do anybody to hold onto the heartbreak, the anger. That energy doesn't suit you.

I will never have the chance to touch base again with Lauro in this lifetime. Maybe the next...I pray for God to give his family strength and I write this as a way of lighting a candle to Lauro. As I have said in other posts, let us praise all that is positive into this universe, let us hold high all that is special even if we temporarily forgot about it. I want to put Lauro's name into the heavens and let anyone who reads this know what a special person he was. Rest in peace...

To eat or not to eat...damn...Gael ate all the garbanzo beans in my salad

For everyone that has "esquinkles" (pip squeaks, rug rats, crumb snatchers, you know), getting ready to go out to a restaurant is not only a long process but an obstacle course of changing diapers, brushing hair, making sure they are not ashy, clean clothes and then figuring out if you should wear the "good" sweat jacket or a different jacket --only to realize that you haven't bought yourself a jacket and rainy season is coming up. Oh crap! FYI, I took the rebozo to cover the fact that I need a better bra....this could go on people! But the eyeliner was in place my ladies.

As we sat in the restaurant, my 3 year old is climbing up and down my lap as I am trying to eat and my sister is trying to get her 3 year old to sit down and eat. I look across the table and my husband is sitting there calmly enjoying his meal. How do I channel his calm way of being? If going to a restaurant is a luxury, why did we bring the kids? Why is there always a beverage spilt on the table, why am I always eating my food cold...

I mention to my sister that next year to celebrate her birthday we invest in a babysitter and the adults can enjoy a meal and an actual conversation with complete sentences and if I should get food on my clothes it is because of my own doing. But who am I kidding? If the kids were not there, I would want them to be there. They do make life a little more interesting.