Abuela Lydia,
No words can truly describe how much I will miss you. You have always been a remarkable source of strength, love, and care in my life. The way you raised 14 children and nurtured so many grandchildren amazes me; I’m often overwhelmed just thinking about having one kid!
Through you, I have learned the meaning of being a wonderful sister, wife, and mother, as your love for family knew no bounds. Your cooking was unmatched, and we all cherished the holidays at Grandma’s house.
Growing up, you never missed any of our activities. You made it a point to be at church whenever my sister and I sang. Even before moving to Puerto Rico, we attended New Jerusalém church together on Sundays, A church grandpa co-founded and co-pastored many years ago.
You and my mom were best friends, and I loved our weekends searching for garage sales. You were the queen of knickknacks and trinkets, always finding treasures.
When my parents decided to move to Puerto Rico when I was 19, the one thing I knew I would miss most was you, Abuela Lydia. I never truly had a relationship with my other grandparents, but you were always there. During my years in Puerto Rico, my heart ached for you. I will never forget an interview where I was asked what it meant to be an influencer; I said, “I don’t feel like one. To me, the greatest influencer is my grandmother, a woman who raised 14.” Despite my success I still felt unworthy of that label. You will always be the true influencer in my life.
During a Christmas visit to New York in 2021, my Aunt Esther encouraged me to stay. In January 2022, I made the decision to move back to NY—a choice I’ll never regret. You had this incredible intuition and always knew when I was feeling down. “¿Estás triste?” you would ask, and you always knew how to lift my spirits with a joke or encouraging words.
Abuelita linda, it breaks my heart to think I won’t share morning coffee and ritz crackers with you, dance with you, or hear you call me silly names like “moñua” and “doña dulia.” Now who will I annoy? Your absence is felt everywhere because you were truly the life of the party.
Our relationship was unique, precious, and profound. Each moment spent with you was a treasure, and I will carry those beautiful memories in my heart.
Your love, grace, warmth, wisdom, and sense of humor will always inspire me. I promise to live my life in a way that honors you.
It has been a profound honor to be by your side until your last moments of life. I will continue to uphold your legacy as the powerful, graceful, loving Proverbs 31 woman you always were. Mostly I promise to keep your sense of humor alive.
Tu nieta,
Charlene Gonzalez
