this single tradition took over all this season. i say that with a little sour bitterness in my heart. although i fell in love with much of it: the absolute need for an apron, the gathering of women at the kitchen table, the hours that added the whole spectrum of emotion (ambitious, determined, overwhelmed, annoyed, exhausted, delirious, giddy with laughter, pressured, accomplished), the conversations, the time together, using our hands, the monotony of the same movements over and over again, the carrying on of tradition as I sat with my child's grandmother and great grandmother (and aunts) learning to make his favorite food in the world (his grandma's tamales), and more (much more).
with all that said, I will simply say that this tradition is being renegotiated. the good made me realize the need to keep all that was beautiful about it alive. holiday tamale-making with family is a must. the bad is the part where I hardly talked to my child for about 4 days promising him "when it's all over we'll..." i felt like i was in finals again. it's tricky figuring out how to make this part easier. we all have different ideas. and so i suppose we have a year to figure it out. until then we are making up for lost moments on our break...i Love these breaks!
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