A Grandad’s gift to his granddaughter. – Legacy Series
Thank you Ana Quintero for sharing part of your legacy story.
Ana Quintero is my dear friend who is a creative to her core. Today she shares with us a story of identity, understanding, and vision.
This story she tells is of her Grandad.
“Abuelito Mauricio is a man who has been redeemed by, and who loves the Lord.
He was Born and raised in El Salvador then studied and practiced as an architect in Mexico.
My Grandad lived a rocky lifestyle up until he met Jesus. But when he did, his life did a 180. Whenever you’re in the room with him, you feel the presence of Jesus. And when he speaks, you can tell his relationship with God is one of the realest parts of his life.
My family and I went to El Salvador the spring semester of my sophomore year in college.
It was the first time we had ever been to El Salvador, and it was the first time we would meet him in person.
I was super nervous at first because I had never met him and didn’t know what the dynamic would be, but there was no need to be worried.
As soon as we landed in El Salvador, all I felt was love. Everyone we met was so welcoming and they genuinely cared about us. There was no doubt in my mind we were family.
One evening, we went to his small home to have dinner with him and other family members. It was incredible that I could feel so much love for someone I was only beginning to know.
While we were there, he brought out old photo albums and began telling us stories of his ancestors and where he came from.
Before we left, he pulled my brother, sister and I aside and gave us each small gifts that still mean the world to us.
He gave my sister a book of poetry that was written by someone in our family years and years ago.
He gave my brother a pair of cufflinks from our ancestors.
And he gave me a portrait of my great grandmother from when she was 14 and she looked exactly like me.
This moment gave me a sense of grounding. It gave me a view into who I was and where I came from.
Because of distance, we can’t visit that side of the family very often, so spending time with them and learning about our past truly helped me understand why I am the way I am today. It put back a piece of the puzzle that I had been missing my whole life.
Stories of a woman who ran a ranch who would stay up all night to shoot trespassers reminded me that I come from a long line of strong women.
Stories of a cellist who composed his own music before an important concert because he forgot his music reminds me that creativity has always been in my blood.
It truly was an amazing experience.
It is a great hope of mine, that by pursuing design and/or a creative field I can carry on a piece of his legacy and my dad’s legacy.
I also hope to have the kind of relationship with God that he has. One where Jesus is more real to me than anything in my life.”
Ana Q
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Have you received a gift that unlocked answers and gave you a trajectory for your life?
Share in the comments!
Happy Reminiscing,
Caralee Rose
Check out Ana’s blog (What If Adventures) where she shares stories of people pursuing their creative talents! It will surely enrich your legacy.