So Many Relatives, So Little Time
From the earliest age, we must learn to say goodbye to friends and family. It is part of the human experience that we are constantly gripping a good fellow by the shoulders and wishing him well, taking comfort from the notion that we will hear word of him soon enough. --Amor Towles, A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW
It’s October 18th and my niece, Lauren, is now nine years old. I mailed her a 4th Grader Book. I hope she likes it. When I think of Lauren I think of my very own daughter—out there somewhere---as I know she was born the same year as Lauren (1985). I believe around September 1985. I wonder where she is living and what her parents are like. I hope I’ll know in another nine years as I hope she’ll contact me when she turns eighteen. Only time will tell.
Barbara Reynolds sent a funny photo card taken by photojournalist DILIP MEHTA in 1993. It is titled THE WORLD’S LONGEST HAIR. Barbara wrote:
21 Oct 94
Two months til Solstice and the advent of more sun...yeah! I’m coping.
I saw my physical therapist yesterday and he discovered part of my problem (pain) is in my shoulder joint. It’s such a relief to figure things out.
Joan Lyon’s son is Damian Lyons and plays for the San Diego Chargers.
Wishing it would rain...got a note this week from my new friend in Virginia. Thank you Thank you!
Have you moved already?
My niece in Stanton had her daughter on October 13th...sounds great. Later, Barbara
Aunt Lela wrote again. She sent a cute friendship card with an illustration of a skunk. Hmm...
Inside the card:
Michael,
Sometimes I like to stop and say a little thank-you prayer for you and for the friendship God has given us to share. Besides being related, we’re friends. Love hearing from you. Lovingly, Aunt Lela
Included was a handwritten letter on lined yellow paper; I had previously written her for information as I started a quest to create a Family Tree and connect the dots to all of my relatives. It’s my new genealogy project in-progress. She sent some great information about my only ARMIJO first cousins (Joey, Mona and Donna):
Oct. 21, 1994
Dear Nephew,
What a letter. I’ll try to get more information for you and send it as I get it.
Joey’s children are Joseph Elijah who turned 9 on April 13. Alisha Marie born July 5th; she just turned 8 years. Cory Daniel born July 1st and just turned 6 years. Their mother, Michelle’s maiden name is Hammond. She is Mona’s exact age (30 years). Joey is 32 on June 19th. Remember that he and Johnny (your brother) and Steve Vigil are only ten days apart.
Mona’s married name is EBELING and her husband is Michael Dean Ebeling (33 years old). The children are Johnny Dean Ebeling b. Feb. 8, 1984; Jessica Elizabeth b. Sept. 8, 1986; James Michael b. April 5, 1988; Marcus Anthony b. Nov 12, 1989; Monica Jean b. July 6, 1991.
Donna is married to David Scott Payne who was born on Aug. 26, 1968. Donna Lynn Armijo was born Aug. 27, 1969. Danielle Rae Solorio-Payne was born April 12, 1987. Veronica Marie b. June 15, 1992; the newest grandchild is Sarah Elizabeth b. Aug. 31, 1994.
I just talked to your Aunt Dolores last week. She and Lawrence have been divorced quite a number of years. She was a MORA before she was married to Lawrence Vigil. Paul Vigil is their oldest son and is married to Mary. They have two sons (I forgot their names, ages). Steve married Rachelle (who was married before) and has a baby girl named Miranda (age?). They have a little girl together who is maybe two or three years old.
Chirstina is married, divorced and remarried. I have no idea about her married name (no kids).
Edward is married to Lydia and they’re divorced. They have two girls (Jennifer and Jessica). I don’t know their ages.
Pat Vigil has not remarried since Bob passed away in 1988.
Pat and Bob’s daughter, Cindy, did remarry in August. I don’t have information on her husband. She had a son, Paul Jaramillo, from her first husband. She now has a little one around two years old named Trevor.
Troy is married. His wife...? The kids are Bobby and Megan. Todd is married also and has one girl about six years old named Candice (all are such beautiful children). Good looks run in the Latin Blood, right?
My mom’s maiden name is Martinez and her dad was ENRICO MARTINEZ. My grandmother was JOSEFITA BACA and they were from the Chama, Los Brasos area of Northern New Mexico. Most all of my relatives on both sides were from the Northern part of NM. I was raised in Utah until I was nine years old, when I moved to Oakland in 1952. I have a lot of relatives in Utah from both sides of my family (Colorado and New Mexico also).
I would love to see you, Paul, Joey and Troy put together a reunion of all of these cousins in your age bracket! Troy is a good once to get a hold of and probably one of Aunt Nellie’s kids (like Mario or Becky). Also, all of Aunt Esther’s family...so may relatives, so little time, right?
Do have a good time with all of this information. I wish I could remember more! Regards to all from me when you talk to them.
What is Tony’s phone number and Johnny, too? I want Joey to get a hold of them, so the kids can meet their first cousins on the ARMIJO side. Alisha is at the age now where she wants to know all of this.
Ending here...God Bless, Take Care—rest from your move!
Lovingly, Aunt Lela
My Aunt Lela certainly has it right when she wrote ‘So Many Relatives, So Little Time’. We all work here, there and everywhere. It’s not an easy task to organize a reunion. My intent is to work on it though. I still need to get more names and find all of the connections. There are so many. It’s almost a full-time job to just focus on all of the people connected to my four family lines of ARMIJO, GARCIA and LUCERO, LEYBA.
On the 21st Alan and I went to see the movie LOVE AFFAIR. The chemistry between Annette Bening and Warren Beatty was evident. I remember taking a class in San Francisco at the ACT Theater (American Conservative Theater). I later learned that she was a member of the Acting Company there, having completed the Master in Fine Arts program there in the mid-1980s. It would have been fun to meet her. I like her style. She and I are about the same age.
My niece, Lauren, did love the gift I sent. I was honored by a handwritten letter ‘in pencil’ from her. Lauren wrote:
Dear Uncle Mike, Thank you for the fourth-grade book. I’ve been reading the stories in the front of the book.
Oh...and I forgot to tell you that my mom is going to take us to the San Francisco Ballet. I wish you could come with us. There is no talking or singing in the ballet. We are going to have to wear dresses but it’s next year.
And we are going to go to Mexico with Grandma Virginia. We are going on a plane. I’ve never been on a plane. I bet it’s fun. And we get to go out for dinner sometimes. We get to go swimming every day. I hope I could see you soon. Bye.
Love,
Lauren Armijo
P.S. I LOVE YOU.
And what more can I ask for ‘now and then’ other than a simply I LOVE YOU. A good warrior has to be content with whatever compassion comes his way.
To be a good warrior, one has to feel sad and lonely, but rich and resourceful at the same time. This makes the warrior sensitive to every aspect of phenomena: to sights, smells, sounds, and feelings. The warrior is also an artist, appreciating whatever goes on in the world. --Chogyam Trungpa, SMILE AT FEAR
