Roots

This is a conversation I had with my daughter that I then submitted to a writing contest and I won the grand prize. 

"Mama what does the word roots mean?" My 5 year old daughter asks as we watch Alex Haley's Roots.

"Roots are where you come from, the parts that make you."

"What are my roots? " Her innocent eyes look at me for guidance 

Her quest for her roots has begun. each day we try to teach her the uniqueness of her heritage, We don't want to teach her race and color. 

I enter the room at night to feed the baby. She sits up, "Mama am I hawaiian? We live in Hawaii." 

"No babe, you are mexican and African American"

"Am I from Mexico"

"No babe you were born in Mexico"

Are you from Mexico?

No baby I was born in California also. Your abuelita Bertha and abuelito Carlos were born in Mexico and they went to California. They are both Mexican so that makes me mexican and since I'm your mama you are part mexican."

"Am I North Carolinian?"

Chuckling, "Why babe?" 

Well daddy's from North Carolina 

Yes babe but a long time ago his family came from Africa. 

Oh ok. 

Goodnight babe

goodnight Mama

Happy Valentines Day

For Valentines Day I got  a great surprise, my house was ready for me to move in. He still wasn't home so I would get to do all the decorating and decisions by myslef… POWER! We were given a 4 bedroom house. It was part of a duplex in a little cove of 10 houses. It was perfect, it had a playground right next door and air conditioning! Which is a must in humid Hawaii.
I was excited to have all my things back, my bed, my pots and pans, my bedding. Until now most of the things I had were loaned from the military MWR. We had always fought about where was the best place to put  things in the kitchen like appliances and dishes but this was my time and only mine! hahaha I was in charge and could arrange things any way I wanted!
I was all moved in and now how to tell him we had moved? He was still gone and I could only communicate  with him in 25 words or less

Message: We moved new phone number , girls miss you. Kitchen is perfect. Love you. -miriam