My paternal great grandmother came to the United States as an immigrant from Spain in the early 1900's. She boarded the ship as a teenager whose parents were sending her to a place they hoped she would have opportunities for a better life. I can not imagine being a mother who felt this was the best decision.
My heart is warmed knowing that my Abuelita Maria was able to make a go of it in the United States and that she was able to return to Spain to visit her family eventually. To let them know that her dreams, and theirs, had been realized.
My grandmother's writings say that my Abuelita's trip on the ship was made much more pleasant, due to the fact that a wealthy woman hired her as a nanny at the beginning of the trip. Thus, her economy ticket was upgraded to first class. She hadn't even made it to the land of opportunity, and her first opportunity had been presented.
Her ship first stoped in Cuba, where she worked in a cigar factory. When the cigar factories moved to Tampa, the workers followed.
My Abuelita brought with her the seed of a mango. Her seed grew a tree that is still living, now 100 years old. This tree is older than I am. It’s older than my father. It outlived my grandmother who’s mother planted it to feed her family.
I wish I could ask her more of the story behind the seed she planted. Was it given to her by a friend? Was she advised on how to plant and nurture it so that it would feed her family for generations? Did she herself intentionally bring the seed from her food scraps thinking of the future?
We think of investments and value in dollars. How many dollars we can grow with our particular use of the man made currency? What can we purchase in exchange for it?
Just as I have looked to My Creator for wisdom on what foods He intended for my nourishment, I believe He also guides us to invest our time and resources in things that are real. The U.S. dollar is not where we are to place our faith.
This mango tree has nourished five generations with its’ sweet fruit. I’d say that is a good return on investment.
This year, it produced a bumper crop. I wonder what my great grandmother would think if she saw her tree loaded down with enough fruit to feed 20 families? I think she would be proud. I am so proud that she left this legacy for her family. I hope that my children will be able to make their children a mango milkshake one day!
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