Get ready, because this is a long one.... As I stand over my sink, doing the dishes and looking out my window, a funny memory comes to mind. It was summer time, 2000, I had just turned 13. Grandma and I convinced my parents to let me spend the summer with them in New York. I was doing the dishes (as grandpa always made me!), scrubbing one dish at a time, rinsing off one dish at a time. When I feel him hovering over me and he said Pero nena, por que no los friegas todos, y los enjuagas todos? Te vas a tomar todo un dia lavando platos! (Kiddo, why dont you scrub them all and then rinse them all at the same time? You will take all day washing dishes) My reply was simple: I did not want to cross contaminate the soaped up, clean dishes with the dirty ones. In my 13 year-old OCD mind, this was atrocious. And then I saw the look. You guys know which one Im talking about. The look that can defeat la chancla and any other physical punishment. But before he could go on and on about wasting water, and soap, etc., I see my grandmother appear at his side with a look that only she has mastered. The one that made him stop dead in his tracks. And she replied Viejo! Dejala quieta! Que los lave como le de la santa gana, despues de que los lave. No la jodas! (Leave her alone old man! Let her do the dishes however she likes, as long as she does them! Dont bother her!) This particular moment came to mind as I noticed today that I was scrubbing all of the dishes, and then rinsing them all at the same time. And I laughed. Ok, Grandpa, I get it. You taught me how to do the dishes the right way! And even now that you have been gone for so long, I still remember. I still miss you. I miss you more now that I can appreciate those moments we had. Thank you. I know that was you today.
Posted on: Wed, 03 Sep 2014 17:51:48 +0000
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