Thursday, September 18, 2008

I Am From....

When I first started blogging I had come across this meme, it's sort of a meme but not really. And I vividly remember reading some of the entries and thinking WOW, they're amazing. I've always wanted to do it and completely forgot about it until today, for some reason as I lay in bed with my two little sick ones, it came rushing back and I knew I had to blog about it.

I would love to see yours too, so if you're one of my blog readers and want to join in, just let me know in the comments so I can come read yours.

The exercise is based on a poem by George Ella Lyons called Where I'm From. Fred's post includes a guide to help those who might need it, which of course would be me.

My grandmother's hands....I LOVE this photo


I AM FROM.....

I am from aprons and greatgrandmothers cooking in the kitchen, from tea with milk in the morning and wholesome homemade food for dinner.

I am from a seaside town, from fresh seafood and big family gatherings. From the smell of the ocean and the sound of the seagulls, from the narrow roads and the sound of kids playing outside until after sunset, from cashew nuts and warm afternoons on white sandy beaches.

I am from palm trees, from dense scrub-brush and impressive palm groves, from waves washing onto the beach and tourists sun tanning.

I am from big family dinners, talking and singing, from a loving family, from Ema and Eduardo and Odete and Julio, from Jacinta and Antonio. I am from skillful hands, and loving hearts. From talented singers and painters.

I am from Christian family loving people, from dinner tables set for twenty, from beer bottles and wine, from talking too loud and laughing too much. From survivors of the Independence War in Mozambique, from fighters and courageous souls. From Portuguese, Brazilian and French.

I am from "wear a coat or you'll get sick" and from "don't go swimming right after you eat, wait at least 3 hours".

I am from Mozambique and from Portugal, from big plates of prawns and curry, from steaks and fries and from sweet rice pudding.

From the men who went to war during the independence and fought with all their hearts, from the greatgrandmother and grandmother who bought me little toy pots and pans to practice cooking, from grandfather Julio who loved life and loved to laugh, from grandfather Antonio who was a brilliant guitar player and accompanied one of Portugal's famous Fado singers.

I am from old photographs kept in boxes in the closet, from photo albums stained from age barely holding together the memories of years gone by, from crocheted pot holders created by loving hands and big family trips by car.

17 comments:

Cheri said...

Oh my goodness Sandra- that is just beautiful!
I wish I was 1/2 the writer you are.
That picture of your Grandmothers hands is just priceless!

Mike Golch said...

this is a great posting. I only wish that I could hold a candle to you.my writing totally sucks.this is waht I would not attempt this as you have done. you Grama;s hands are priceless.

Lisa Cobler said...

Great post. Love the picture of your grandma's hands. Beautiful shot!

Anonymous said...

Beautiful words!

BTW I miss the gorgeous music on your blog.

Linds said...

Absolutely beautiful!

The Bookworm said...

Beautiful! I love these ... I did one a couple of years ago, which you can read here, and another for my then new-born daughter here.

Jen said...

well i just loved this post. very honest and just plain old good.

Anonymous said...

I love this, I definitely had to play along...

Anonymous said...

That's so strange I was thinking about this the other day too. I remember doing one a while back, but I don't think I kept it! Lol, it's my own fault for deleting my old blogs! :)

I might attempt another next week

Hugs.

Mozi Esme said...

I LOVE this! The strong family ties combined with Mozambican magic - awesome!

daisy said...

Oh, the picture is beautiful. That would be awesome on a scrapbook page, or decorated and framed. What a precious memory.

I did this meme too, so I'll leave you my link here.

Thanks for sharing!

Lara said...

Querida Sandra,
Encontrei este blogue através de um outro que costumo visitar e fiquei tão feliz por encontrar alguém que fala a minha língua (embora longe) e que partilha a mesma forma de estar na vida. Eu sou portuguesa, também de Moçambique, tenho 38, quase 39 anos, sou também uma SAHM cristã embora apenas com uma filha.
Vou continuar a visitar os teus blogues. Gostei muito deles.
Que Deus te abençoe, a ti e à tua família.
Lara

Michelle said...

this was just beautiful! What a great way to capture your heritage!

Renee said...

Beautiful post! I agree with Michelle - what a great way to capture your heritage!

Anonymous said...

Hello Sandra,
This is my first visit to your blog. Oh my, the picture of your grandmothers hands made me cry. My beloved Grandmother went home to the Lord 5 years ago and oh how I miss her still. There is something everyday I want to tell her, to hear her voice, to feel the veins on her hands as she holds mine. God is Good and I will see her again.
I really enjoed being here. So soothing and so much to read and look at. I will be coming by a lot. You have a beautiful blog.
hugs Sandra in New Zealand (yes I am a Sandra too)

Hill upon Hill said...

Thankyou for this idea. I enjoyed writing mine:
http://hilluponhill.blogspot.com/2008/09/i-am-from.html

Barbara said...

I love this post and am inspired to write my own. I'll let you know when I post it... It may take a few days to compose.