Home Video, December 2021

My cousin Ana Karen sent me this video she filmed when her family came over a few weeks ago. Usually, smartphone videos seem different from the home videos of my childhood –– back when all the moms had a big videocamera glued to their right eye on special occasions –– but this one feels like the big VHS tapes of my cousins and me that we would re-watch around the holidays.

I can imagine returning to watch this video, over and over again, with my sobris Nolito and Dahlia to remember what this time in our life was like. It’s an instant treasure. ¡Mil gracias, AK!

Home Video, December 2021

Letter from Victoria

My favorite picture with Vic, taken in October 2021. You’ll notice she’s covering her laptop camera with her thumb. That’s because I accidentally photo-bombed her Zoom class…

Ten years ago, I became Tía Kiki and wrote a letter to my sobri Victoria on this blog. This year she wrote one to me. It is the nicest letter I’ve ever gotten, and it reminds me of the coolest part of being a tía: first, you love the babies, and then, they love you back. Logically, I understand that this pattern is key to human survival, but to experience it first-hand is incredible. I feel lucky beyond words.

Letter from Vic, November 2021.

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Letter from Victoria