I’ve always enjoyed looking at the moon in all its various forms. Why? The moon reminds me of childhood days when my mother and her children (two brothers and two sisters) visited her family in Saucillo, Chihuahua, Mexico. Uncles, aunts, and cousins always gathered at Grandma’s when we visited. Always surrounded by people, I never felt lonely. Grandma greeted relatives with breakfast made from fresh flour tortillas, freshly hatched eggs, beans, coffee, and milk for the children. (We were also treated to a homemade lunch.) Although Grandma didn’t want help because we were guests; we always helped with chores.

By late afternoon, relatives discussed at whose place we (my mother and her children) were going to spend the night. We ended up separating and staying at different houses, but we always gathered at Grandma’s for supper; she loved to entertain. And although she didn’t want any help, her guests always helped clean up in the kitchen. When we finished, we went outside to enjoy the cool evenings. We sang Mexican songs and chatted. We usually sat in folding chairs on Grandma’s dirt sidewalk flanked by a two-foot wide canal that conducted water to the river. The streets in most of Saucillo, including the one in front of my grandmother’s house, were unpaved and rutted. After a torrential downpour, which didn’t happen very often, we walked on muddied streets, but that didn’t bother us, especially me. I seldom wore shoes. I loved to feel the ground, pebbles, and wade in the river which was not far away. This behavior prompted one of my cousins to tease me. He called me a Tarahumara because these Indians never wore shoes.

Animated conversation and laughter filled our nights. My relatives had a lot of interesting stories to share; some were quite comical. Eventually, Grandma would declare that it was getting late so the group disbanded. Mom stayed with her mother. But her children separated and ended up at beloved aunt’s houses. We didn’t need anything to light our way to their homes. The moon graciously took care of that. The following day, we met at Grandma’s for a late brunch. Even though we’d already had breakfast, she insisted on feeding us. The day advanced. Eventually nighttime arrived, and so did the full moon. Now, every time I look at the moon and its various shapes, I remember those pleasant unforgettable times that I spent with my family when I was growing up.