Visiting abuelita Geno

 

Last week, I traveled to Perú to spend time with my grandma, Genoveva. We call her Geno.

Lately, I have been feeling emotional thinking about her. Last year, we lost my grandfather, her husband of 63 years. Since then, even with family around her all the time, there has been a sadness that comes and goes. One day, when my mom asked her how she was feeling, she simply said she felt lonely.

That stayed with me.

This trip is really about her.I am not going with a full agenda or big plans. I am going to be with her. To sit in her house, have lunch together, rest beside her on the couch, and watch her work on her pupiletras, those word search puzzles and little newspaper games she enjoys so much.

There is something deeply meaningful about returning to simple moments like that.

As I thought about this trip, I realized how easy it is to get caught up in doing. Lately, I have been in a season of execution. Working, managing, organizing, solving, moving things forward. That energy has its place, and I am grateful for it. It helps me build, support others, and get things done.

At the same time, I know there is another side of me that also needs attention. The creative side. The reflective side. The part of me that sees more clearly when I step away from my usual environment. The part that reconnects with vision, inspiration, and meaning.

Sometimes, the best thing we can do for ourselves and for the people we love is pause.

Not because everything is finished, but because life is happening now.

Getting older changes people. Grief changes people. Loneliness can exist even when someone is surrounded by love. That truth has been sitting with me lately. It has reminded me that presence matters more than perfection, and that being there can be more healing than trying to say the right thing.

So, as I prepared for this trip, I looked forward to something very simple and very sacred. Time with my abuelita. Family. Quiet. Perspective. A chance to reset, to ground myself, and to come back with fresh eyes.

Here are four reminders this season is giving me:

  1. Visit the people you love while you can.
    We often think there will be more time later. Sometimes there is, and sometimes there is not. A visit, a meal, a conversation, or even quiet company can mean more than we realize.
  2. Presence is powerful.
    You do not always need the perfect words. Sitting next to someone, listening, sharing a small part of the day, or simply being there can bring real comfort.
  3. Rest creates room for creativity.
    When we stay in constant doing mode, it gets harder to access vision and inspiration. Stepping away from routine can help us think more clearly and return with fresh ideas.
  4. Slowing down is not a waste of time.
    Time spent with family, in reflection, or in stillness is not lost time. It often gives us exactly what we need to move forward with more intention.


I am grateful for the chance to see abuelita, to hug her, to sit with her, and to enjoy the kind of moments that do not look big from the outside, but mean everything in the heart.

I hope this is also a gentle reminder for you to check in with someone you love, make space to breathe, and honor the parts of life that cannot be rushed.

Sometimes the most important thing we can do is simply be there.

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