Dia De Los Muertos part II

Today is the day we celebrate the dearly departed. All day long I've thought about this and what I was going to post in my blog. I have decided to remember a great man. He was not a famous inventor, nor a war hero in a major battle, nor was he a rich philanthropist. But he is a man that I want to be more like. I am talking about my grandfather, Julio.

Why is it that my grandfather was a great man? The reason is simple, but cannot be overlooked. He was the anchor of our family his entire life. He made sure his family was united and got them through anything that life put in their way. He lost his first wife when they were young, my dad being only 5 years old. He was left alone to raise 3 boys. No one would have blamed him if he had lost it, given up and left his kids to be raised by relatives. But that was not an option. He continued to fight and made sure his kids had everything they needed, if not everything they wanted. He worked hard all his life and he made sure that his children learned the value of hard work. He remarried later in life and had 4 more children by his second wife. He loved them all and loved his grandchildren and great-grandchildren just the same.

My grandfather was a very likable person. He always tried to treat everyone fairly, whether they be an adult his age or a child. You dared not mistreat anyone in front of him. Wherever he went people knew him and would talk to him. He was affectionately known as "Don Julio" by his friends and neighbors. To my brother and me he was known as "Papito Julio," the caring, loving grandfather. No matter who you were or what your background, Papito Julio always treated you the same and made sure you were welcome in his house. He never looked down on anyone. One story of his that I will never forget involves a visit he made to the US. For a time he and his three sons lived in Tijuana. One afternoon he crossed the border into the US for a visit and decided to take in a movie. Now this was a time when segregation was still a part of life and the theater was divided into a "white" and a "colored" section. Not being aware of this, my grandfather sat in the "colored" section. Now Mexicans at the time had it rough. They really didn't belong in either group but were somehow considered "white" for the purposes of segregation. An usher came by and informed him that he could not sit there. My grandfather asked the usher the reason for this. The usher informed him about the different sections and my grandfather was so appalled that he left right then and there. This had a major impact on him and it may be part of the reason that he always treated everyone with the same amount of respect.

I have many fond memories of the times I spend with Papito Julio. We were lucky enough to have him visit us from time to time. My brother and I would wake up early and fix him pancakes for breakfast. He in turn would make us a big pot of coffee, Mexican-style. (That's where you add coffee grounds to a pot directly and heat on the stove. He would also add a couple of sticks of cinnamon.) Pancakes and Mexican-style coffee, what a breakfast. I don't recall how good the pancakes we made were, but in his opinion they were the best because his grandkids had made them. That's another thing about him, he was never one to turn down food that someone offered him. He could have just finished a big meal, but if you offered him a bit he would accept so as to not hurt your feelings. Papito Julio loved to eat and he hated to waste food. Growing up poor in Mexico, he realized that food was precious and not to be thrown out. He was also never afraid to try anything new.

One year Papito Julio went with us on our family trip to Florida and Disney World. I had never seen a man his age act like such a kid! His eyes were full of joy and excitement at all there was to see. I think that my family got more joy from seeing him have such a good time than from any attraction there. On our first day at the theme parks, my mom asked him if he thought it'd be a good idea to rent a wheelchair. I'll never forget the look on her face when he said, "Why? You think you're going to need it?" There was no way he was going to be put into a wheelchair that day! He was used to walking; in Mexico City he preferred to walk everywhere, regardless of the distance.

Although Papito Julio has passed away, I have made a vow to never let his memory fade. My kids hear stories about him and how we are all a little like him. One of his favorite kind of movies were kung-fu and Bruce Lee movies. My parents would rent him a stack of movies each time he visited and we would stay up late watching them. Nowadays my sons love watching Bruce Lee movies and have been in martial arts for almost two years. I can't help but think that if he's watching us from heaven, he smiles when he sees them. We also love to eat almost as much as he did. He also had a great sense of humor and I will always remember him as a smiling, laughing, very jolly person. As my sons and I get older, I hope that we all become a little more like him.

Papito Julio in the middle, with my parents on either side.

Papito Julio with his second wife, Elena whom I grew up with as my grandmother.

Papito Julio as a young man.

One last thing. I said that I would explain the items I placed on his altar. There is the Pan de Muerto, of course. I also added a Mexican flag because he was born in Mexico. Also there is a Mexican pastry known as a concha, one of his favorites. I also placed a package of Abuelita brand Mexican chocolate, another favorite of his. (He liked to eat the chocolate right out of the package as well as mixing it with milk for hot chocolate.) There are also some logos of his favorite soccer team, the Pumas. I also added a bottle of tequila, another traditional Mexican addition to the altar. Also there are some rosary beads, a candle with La Virgen de Guadalupe and a bottle of holy water because he was a devout Catholic.