Honor in aging
The Day I Embraced My Eldership
“Say Hello to Grandmother”
I don’t look my age. However, yesterday I discovered that I do look like a grandmother.
On the first day of Fiesta in Santa Fe, New Mexico, I’m in the plaza watching Hispanic dancers performing on stage. Native American dancers perform in the blocked-off street surrounding the plaza. People in conquistador outfits wander the crowd. Santa Fe honors and acts out its total history during Fiesta, including the Spanish conquerors.
As I cross the street to go back to my car, a family crosses in front of me. I noticed and smiled at them earlier, as their daughters are so enthusiastic. They make me think of Kamala and Maya Harris as they must have been as children.
This time, as they cross in front of me, I smile again and say hello. The children don’t hear me, but their mother does. Her accent and what she says reveals she is from some part of the African continent.
She says to her children, “Say hello to grandmother.”
