As a Latino, have you ever noticed that when you go home and visit your family, you hardly leave empty handed? Whether you're asked to indulge in a cafecito or a tesito de canela, you're always treated like royalty. Latinos love to cater to their guests and make sure they are not thirsty or hungry. When visiting my Mom, she immediately names all the items she has to offer me. She'll say, "Mija, I have a few tamales there if you'd like to warm them up." or "I made chorizo con huevo, you can have a torta. Or also, a bit of birria is left. I know how much you like it!" This is true of aunts and grandmothers. They always want to make you feel at home with the special delicacies they happened to prepare. If they made it a few days ago, they will tell you that it should taste even better now that a few days have passed and the condiments have reached their true flavor.
I find that no matter how old we get, whenever we come home, we are greeted with such warmth, love and hugs and kisses. Sometimes, we leave with more than that. We might leave with a mango ready to be ripend and enjoyed. Perhaps, a piece of chocoflan left over from a fiesta the family went to. Many times, I allow my Mom to spoil me. To serve me a special dish or make me a cup of tea. I let her be my Mom and feel like she's still nurturing me. I feel good when she makes me feel like I am still entitled to her attention. If I am lucky, I will leave with a bag of aguacates (avocado) or guavas from her trees out in the yard. There have been times when I leave with a whole bag of groceries. My Mom will say, "Mija, do you need bread? I have plenty! Do you need tortillas? Take a few." And she'll begin filling up a bag of a little piece of queso, tortillas, bread, nopales, or whatever else she wants to give me.
Most of the time I wonder to myself how my Mom, finding herself in a very poor struggling situation, can still share so much of what she has with me. I tell her, "Mom, no keep it for yourself." or "Mom, I can buy some for myself, don't worry." I see that she wants to give me things. She wants to feel like she's saved me a trip to the store, or a few dollars, or even just that she knows I am really going to enjoy whatever she gives me. I've never found any poor Latino family that does not do this. They are always willing to share what they barely have enough of with their loved ones, friends and families. They put out the best fruit, the freshest ingredients and tastiest of dishes for company. They go out of their way to make you feel comfortable and at home.
Roci, this is so true. I have to come to realize that the reason mothers give you all their love, attention...and food it's because by doing so, they feed their souls. They do it and expect you to do it as well. It's part of growing up Latino. Not doing it feels like betraying your culture. The more you give the happier you are. Living in the US have taught me that if non-Latinos were willing to give more, they would be happier, less tired, less bored and less unbearable.
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