glo{w}

my grandma grew up with twelve siblings, two boys and ten girls. they grew up and had their own children. but they stayed as close as could be and in their later years, the sisters, including my grandma, always traveled in a pack, traipsing between birthday parties and lunch dates. i remember when "the aunts" would arrive at our birthday parties. they would get out of the car and walk up the walkway together, all in a row, purses dangling, just waiting to kiss your cheek and give you a trinket. "the aunts" included ellie, connie, pat, and gloria, or as we all called her, aunt glo.

aunt glo was beautiful. she had the biggest, rosiest cheeks and bluest eyes. she was sassy and would sometimes tell a naughty joke and then wink. her eyes always seemed to sparkle like magic and the i realized that she just laughed so hard and so often tears would form her eyes. when i was growing up she always sent me a birthday card with a crisp five dollar bill. i used to wonder how she remembered all those birthdays, surely there were over fifty of us little ones.

she died in early november. the last time i saw her was at my bridal shower in april. she had given me four, perfectly crocheted dish towels. her cheeks were rosy that day. and when she hugged me goodbye she pinched my bum and giggled. i treasure those dish cloths even more than i did the day she gave them to me.


so the rodrigo clan gathered at my grandma's house last week to remember the life and times of our aunt glo.

everyone brought food and dessert to share. there were many of our family's favorite dutch treats, including speculaas and boterkoek.

there were so many aunts, uncles, cousins, many of whom we had not seen in years. one member of the third american rodrigo generation (my generation) even had welcomed a new baby, beginning a whole new generation. the baby was a girl, of course :)

as i drove home, my heart felt heavy for my grandma. she had lost one her closest sisters. again. i was reminded of how short it all is. again.


i reminded myself that aunt glo had lived, loved and had left her mark and when this view came into my sights i was comforted...



it was undeniable: the sky was glowing. and part of it always will. for her.