I miss living in my old apartment complex with tamale abuela. I worked until late at night so I was home when everyone was at work, I’d take a walk around the common area outside and she would always be sitting on one of the benches. I’d sit and hangout with her after doing a few laps and we would just talk about usual day to day stuff. Every weekend her family would be outside having a cookout and when I would come home from work she would shuffle up to me with a big plate wrapped in tinfoil and a beer or two.

I never asked, never even mentioned either needing food, being hungry, anything. Even before our little talks in the mornings and getting to know each other, she would always have a plate ready for me. She instinctively knew I was going through some rough stuff just by looking at me and when we did start to hangout she told me she could just see it in my eyes.

I want to say I don’t think she could know how much that meant to me but being a mother and a grandmother I think she knew.

Ever since then, I’ve always taken the time to just be nice when I can. A little kindness goes a long way, and you never know how much that little kindness can change someone’s world. Thank you abuela for everything.

Didn’t mean to go on and on there but this all reminded me of when I lived next to tamale abuela. Everyone deserves someone like her in their lives.