my blog

Something exceptional happened this Christmas, my grandfather has written a book. And he gave a copy of this book to each and every one in our family, meaning, he had to make an edition of 135 books. Me and my husband got one, each of my kids got one. The book is about his life and his memories while he was growing up in Guadalajara and then later in Navojoa, Mexico. He talks about his brothers and sisters (he's the younger of 12 kids!) the personality of his father, the experience of growing up during this century that had so many pivotal moments for human history, WWI and WWII, the telephone, the airplane... it's titled "Recuerdos Vivos" (Living Memories). The importance of this book to my family is enormous. First, because he has been writing this for the last 5 years, and it is a milestone for him to have finished it and given it to us this Christmas Eve when we were all there at his and my grandmother's house to celebrate Christmas. The whole family was there, their 8 grown children with all their families and yes, it was chaos, but a fun chaos. Cousins, uncles and aunts, mixing on the same house where it all started. My grandparents have lived there for at least 50 years, to me that's more than forever.

The book has made me think that I would like to leave a legacy like this to my own family, imagine writing about your life and the way things were when you were little, and then as you have your own family and the children are small, on as the family grows older, things change but to capture what things are like right now, today, so that when they grow up, they will really know how their parents were like. I don't know how my mom was like when I was growing up. I remember her, but she was MOM, I knew she liked to paint, but to me she was not an artist, I did not know her as a friend might have, I don't know what her favorite food was back then. We children are selfish like that, I guess. I wish she had written a little of how life was like, how she felt. I could ask her now, but I'm afraid a lot of the memories have been lost, sometimes she remembers things one way and then when I ask about it later, she'll remember it differently.

You know where all this is going, right? the AHA moment I had when I realised, THIS BLOG! this is IT! The last few days I've been going back to the archives where I thought I would find a little more than just pictures of paintings I've made and a few how-to posts of the way I do art, but I found much more, I found things I HAD FORGOTTEN already! stories I've written about me and my childhood and how those interact with the art I do, it's an explanation in a way, of the way I think and I create. I know it's not very interesting to other people, but it's still the history of me, something I want to capture, the now. The today.

If it wasn't because of these two years of blogging, I would've forgotten so many things I've painted, my memory isn't that good, I would've forgotten the back story of the paintings, the idea of where the pieces came from.

This blog is the story of my life, maybe of just a portion of my life, but maybe someday, if my son and daughter are anything like me, they would enjoy reading this, and maybe even me, if I get lucky to get old and wrinkly, will read this again, and say, YES life was good, life was enjoyable, life was full of hope, of love, of art,  of passion for living.

I've been feeling kind of ambivalent about this blog because I did not know what purpose it has. Having the new year closing in, I've been thinking if I really have anything important to say here. Am I doing this to showcase my art so I can sell it? well, that hasn't been helping much, has it? Or is it to just document the art I do? what's the purpose of that? Who is going to read it? Who is this blog for?

This will be my little own Happiness Project

So kids, if you're reading this, hello, I'm your mom, I love you, and this will be the reason why when you turn this page of this book, you will find many more stories about the way I feel and think, which is all I can really write about, I cannot write about you because you have your own book to write and I can't wait to read it.

Here is Abuelito Benjamin on Christmas Eve, while he was giving his speech of how much he loved writing the book, a moment before he gave a copy to each one of us.

And this is me and just a few of my many cousins. I am the oldest of them all! yikes!

Comments

[Deborah]

I recently came accross your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I dont know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.


Deborah

http://termlifeinsurance2.com

[Rosa Murillo]

thznks for your comment Deborah! come back soon.

[Rachel]

I love this story. It reminds me why family is great. I have a great-grandfather from Guadalajara as well. Only I know nothing about his life there. I wish I knew more. Enjoy the book.

[Undaunted]

What a fantastic gift! I would have loved something like that from either my grandfather or my grandmother, but also from my Mum. I know so little about her life as a child. That truly is a gift to cherish from your grandfather!

I think it's a lovely thought that one day your own children will read your thoughts and feelings on this blog.

[Chris]

Wow! I love that your grandfather did that! Over the years I have become interested in genealogy and it's so facinating finding stories and clues from the past. I only wish that my grandparents had written down some of the many stories they had. I guess maybe I should write some of them down myself, while I still remember. Prospero Ano Nuevo! (That's three years of high school Spanish paying off!) ;)

[KathyL]

Bingo! That or this is how I feel about my blog! It is really for my loved ones, my children. I hope that one day they come to understand me....And WOW what a beautiful, beautiful family. Rosa, you are so lucky! The book is an incredible gift and your abuelito had much courage to write it. I count my lucky stars that I have come to know you through your writing and art. I am blessed.

k

[Michelle Brunner]

What a beautiful family you have! I just love the fact that your grandfather wrote a book..what a treasure! Your blog is so wonderful and will make a great gift to your children:)