On “Grandpa Days” I have several children to visit with. One day I told the group that it was Emilia’s (4) turn to offer the prayer on the food. Eli (3) prefers to do it himself since he can finish within 15 seconds and begin eating before the others have their eyes open. Emilia asked blessings on everyone – all her cousins and her relatives stateside and in Mexico – by name – her departed great-great grandmother Emilia “who died and is in Heaven with You and with Jesus, and who has my name . . .”
I believe she may have even asked a blessing on the food, though I was into her genealogical resume to such an extent that I really don’t remember for sure.
As we drove Emilia and her little brother Levi home, Emilia began asking questions in Spanish: “Grandpa, why is it that sometimes you don’t understand me when I speak to you in Spanish, and sometimes you don’t understand me when I speak to you in English either?
Not wanting to admit that my vocabulary doesn’t necessarily include all her vocabulary, I responded, “Because my ears are so old.”
“Is your nose old too?”
“Yes.”
“Are your eyes old too?”
“Yes, that is why I wear glasses. All my parts are old.” (I was laughing so hard under my breath that it was hard to respond.)
“I know some other people that are old: My Grandma Celia is old, and My Grandpa Rojelio is old, and my Great Grandma Crecencia is old and my Great Great Grandma Emilia who died and is in heaven with Heavenly Father and Jesus, and who has my same name is old, and your mother and father that died are old. But my silly Uncle Rojelio is not old like you . . .”
I was now laughing so hard it was difficult to translate all this to English for my wife Patti, who was driving.I have Emilia pegged as the next genealogist for the Fred and Pat Romney clan.
