This book is dedicated to every single person in my family and to those who I consider family, past and present. You lead the way. You give me ganas in my life. Adelante!
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I am second generation Mexican-American. My paternal grandparents are Francisco and Basilia Maldonado. My maternal grandparents are Domingo and Julia Juarez.
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Francisco and Basilia had eight children together: Vincent, Frank, Joe, John, Tom, Teresa, Helen, and Paul. Before Basilia, Francisco was married to Hermene, but he lost her due to tuberculosis. Together, they had my tías Candy and Patsy.
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Francisco died before I was born in 1982, and Basilia died in 1992 when I was two years old. Despite having few personal memories with them, I still feel very close to them because of the family they created. My dad, tíos, y tías remind me of Francisco and Basilia. Each of them makes me feel so loved in their presence. They always welcome me with open arms and celebrate every milestone in my life or lift me up through obstacles in my life.
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Basilia was a true matriarch. She cared for all 8 of her children from el momento they were born and welcomed everyone to our family.
My tía Helen told me that Basilia was not the typical stay-at-home mom, cleaning and cooking lavish meals, but she gave so much cariños to each of her niños. The house may had been a mess when Francisco came home, but he would find her on the floor playing muñecas de papel with the kids. Helen told me that she would make funny voices for each of the paper doll characters, and she laughed at the jokes she would make. She took care of every one of her children and just gave unconditional love.
My dad remembers that she protected him and his brothers when they would make mistakes in life. She had so much compassion for her niños, and she just wanted them to know that they were always loved.
Basilia even cared for those that were married into our familia. For one, My tía Mary Helen thought of her as a mother. At a time when Basilia was becoming frail in age, Mary Helen and my uncle John took her in and cared for her. Mary Helen formed a special relationship with Basilia. Even so, Mary Helen and the family organized a 75th birthday party for her, which she coordinated with the catholic church. The celebration was like a quinceañera for my grandmother Basilia. She got dressed up like a princess, and everyone celebrated the wonderful mother she was. To this day, my tías refer to her as reina.
Francisco was a tall hombre. He had dark moreno, sullen ojos. He was a silencioso man but when he spoke, he knew how to speak with wisdom and charisma.
He only received up to a 5th grade education, but he had read the bible 3 times, cover-to-cover, and he leyó the newspaper everyday. He even bought an encyclopedia set for his kids to read. The kids would look at them, but Francisco took pride in reading about all the information from A-Z. He appreciated education so much that he pushed all 8 of their children to complete high school, and they did. His daughters even convinced him to dress up in an orange Caldwell High School graduation gown when his youngest son Paul graduated from Caldwell High School. For Francisco, education was un regalo. And for his son Thomas Maldonado, he helped me appreciate my education growing up and granted me the gift of pursuing my education after high school.
Francisco was also so orgulloso to live in the United States. When he had la oportunidad to become a U.S. citizen, he studied for the test, and he passed. He would vote, and he would drag his kids when they were 18 years old to vote with him.
He was a noble and respetado man from all that knew and lived with him. I feel close to him because everyone says my dad is exactly like him.
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I will never forget celebrating Christmas each year with the Maldonados. My family would wake up and open presents together in Rockdale and after, we would pack up the car with my mom's signature Green Bean Casserole and Cheese Ball and pack in the beautifully wrapped presents to make our way to Temple, Texas.
We would arrive at John and Mary Helen's historical white house, wrapped with a antique porch. Their street would be lined with cars because family was coming from near and far.
When my family and I walked in, we would hug everyone we saw. I can still smell the Menudo stewing in the kitchen. I remember all the sweets placed neatly around Mary Helen's home. My tíos and cousins would be gathered in the living room, watching the football game. The tías were preparing food or chatting near the brightly decorated Christmas tree, where the wrapped Christmas presents were under the tree, waiting to be unwrapped. The children were outside playing, chasing each other or jumping on the trampoline. After stuffing ourselves with delicious Christmas food, the Maldonado boys would coordinate a pick-up game of "touch-football": Longhorns vs. Aggies.
It was time to leave when the sun started setting. Each Maldonado would go home with stories to tell of that Christmas day and anxiously would wait for the next Maldonado gathering.
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This book is dedicated to every single person in my family and to those who I consider family, past and present. You lead the way. You give me ganas in my life. Adelante!
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I am second generation Mexican-American. My paternal grandparents are Francisco and Basilia Maldonado. My maternal grandparents are Domingo and Julia Juarez.
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