Mi Abuelito

I was playing with my godson who is 5-years old this morning at my in-laws house, his grandparents. In between pretending to shooting laser cannons at each other and blowing up the neighborhood, we some how got on the subject of grandparents. I asked him something about a fountain that he played in as a toddler and he happily answered with a big smile on his face "It's my grandpa's!" He then looked at me and asked me where my grandpa was?

For the very first time in my life, I stumbled for the answer. My heart hurt at this innocent question. The truth is that I never met my grandpas. They both passed away when my parents were single-digit age. The happiness in his question reminded me how much I wished I would have known them - especially my dad's dad. I could not tell him that last week, I was in Guadalajara with my family at El Cemeterio Viejo de Mezquitan, dedicating a tomb long over due. A final tribute from my father who still misses his father. I did not want to say out loud that they passed away.

I saw the happiness when he spoke about his grandpa. I see the happiness that over comes my nieces and nephew at the mere sight of their grandparents. I wish I knew that.

So I looked at him and said "He is not here, he is in Mexico" all the while my heart was aching. He said OK, and ran off while shooting me with his laser cannon.