Las Matriarcas ~ The Matriarchs

~ in honor of my Tia Maria who is the trunk of her family and currently fighting for her life. 

     In my family, our mothers are the ones who have kept the family together. Many sacrifices were made by my great-grandmother, grandmother, mother, and my great-aunts and aunts throughout the years. The word impossible is non-existent to them, during the era of terrorism and corrupt governments when there was inflation and high unemployment.These women found every means to bring food to the table so that their children may never go to sleep on an empty stomach, even if it meant that they themselves, will. From these hardships came great wisdom, these women have learned how to do everything and I'm fortunate that in the few years I've had the chance to spend with them, they've passed down lessons to me that I'll always treasure.

     My great-grandmother, Eduarda, who has lived a life filled with heart-breaking challenges, from becoming a mother at the age of 13 and a widow at 47 with 8 children, she had multiple jobs to provide for her family and with her strong character, she managed to do it with such ease. My mother has fond memories of going to her home and always having delicious food. Their home may have been humble but she always managed to have an abundance of seasoned meats stacked in her fridge, ready to be fried whenever someone came to her home. She was an amazing cook and she would plan family reunions often, setting an example to always keep the family together, because it is what she treasured most and what filled her heart with happiness. You see...my great-grandmother was an orphan, her mother died when she was very young and her dad wasn't in her life, an aunt took her in but treated her more like a servant than a niece. She never experienced the warmth or affection of someone until she met my great-grandfather who loved her more than anything in the world, and together they built together the family that would give her the unconditional love she always yearned for.

My mamita Eduarda.

     Before she passed away, my grandmother and mother made sure and promised her that they would keep this tradition of doing whatever it takes to keep the family together, in the good and in the bad. I live far away from my family members in Peru and we have family that have also left to other countries like United Kingdom, Japan, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, and Saudi Arabia to chase their dreams of a better life. Despite the miles, with the help of social media, we make sure we're always in contact and always supporting each other. I hope we're making her proud by doing this.

     Despite the miles, always keep in contact with your family, especially your grand parents and the elders in your family.You have no idea how much a simple good morning greeting can make their day. Life is so short, you never know when it'll be the last time you'll get to hear their voice.

My Tia Maria, in the middle and my grandmother, second to last to the right.

     I was inspired to write this because another matriarch in my family, my tia Maria, is soon parting away to join my uncle who passed away a few years ago and whom she misses so much. She was the glue of her family tree, and through her sacrifices she succeeded in raising her 6 children, my aunts and uncles who are one of the most caring and sweet individuals you can ever meet. 

     It's fascinating, that in a country like Peru, where machismo is still very much prevalent, it's the hard-working women that hold the family together, las MATRIARCAS. 

Sweet dreams.

Karen
- The Chic Engiruvian