They Come in 3's...

My grandfather, my mother, and now my grandmother..

Mi abuela - Manuela Tenorio. She passed away on Easter, although the news made its way to us faraway relatives a little later than that. She was the matriarch of the clan, a brood of energetic and rowdy (in the best way) Colombians whom she ruled with discipline and food, or so I've been told.

In 1990, when these relatives first relocated to the East Coast, I was sent to stay with them for about 6 weeks. Every day, my grandfather would come collect me and take me to their house, where my grandmother would be in her "office" making massive quantities of food. We'd have a huge lunch (usually about 6 courses) and then she'd pack the rest up into containers. My grandfather would then walk to every relative's home, put their food in the fridge, and drop me off knowing that the family had dinner for the night.

I knew that after my grandfather passed, my grandmother wouldn't be far behind. Even in the depth's of his advanced Alzheimer's, he would still pass by my grandmother in her wheelchair, and say, "Bonita, bonita..." They held hands till the last minute, so I'm glad they can be together again.

Dona Manuela Ines Tenorio - que dios los bediga a todos.