Long distance warmth

Thursday nights are for calling Abuela Rosa. Has been since I moved out, really, but especially since becoming the family heritage keeper. Tonight she spent twenty minutes telling me about her neighbor’s new cat and how it keeps getting into her herb garden.

Long distance warmth

She asked about my pottery classes, remembered that Sarah and I finished our dinner set project, wanted to know if we’re planning to make serving platters next. The fact that she keeps track of these details from three states away still amazes me. Most grandmothers would forget, but not Rosa Vasquez.

Ended up standing by the window for the last half hour, watching our neighbors’ lights come on while she told me about the tamales she’s planning for Easter.

Window conversations hit different

There’s something about her voice that makes distance disappear completely. Jake walked by and smiled when he heard me laughing at her stories about Uncle Miguel’s attempts at online dating.

Some conversations just refill your tank, you know? Hung up feeling like I’d been home for a weekend instead of just an hour on the phone.