The first time meeting Abuelita Frances was at the nail salon were I worked. Nora would bring her in to get her nails done. Frances doesnt speak much English, but I sure understood when I asked her what color she wanted on her nails. She always said "RED!" In the year that I knew her, she was very lovely and full of life. I couldn't believe she was in her 90s! She surely will be missed.  

Abuelita,, February 2018.

My Abuelita, Francisca Ramos, had been a part of my life since I was a baby, back in Guatemala. She took care of me while my mom went to work, so I got to be part of her life, and I got to know her sense of humor  even before I was able to understand her jokes. (I understand them now, though!)

Abuelita came to the U.S.A. in 1970, and six years later, I joined her, so I could learn English. I was only 14, and I lived with her for two years. But in that time, I got to see how hard she worked   two jobs all her life, until retirement. She saved money and paid off her own home in 15 years, right here in northern Virginia. And she taught me how to work hard, and be a strong, independent woman. I'm grateful for that!.

Then my mother came to live here. In those early years, while I was still a teenager, Abuelita cooked a big Christmas dinner at her house for everyone. Aunts and uncles, cousins, and friends would all go there, and Abuelita always had gifts for us, but more than that, she made sure there were extra gifts wrapped, so that that everyone would have a gift to open.

Do you remember how she loved the color red? She liked to paint her nails red, and her lipstick was always red, too. She liked flowers, especially red ones, and I have lots of pictures of her wearing her favorite red sweater.

In later years, she'd been wanting another dog. So I took her to West Virginia to get a young puppy, and she chose Muneca for Christmas. That was just over 9 years ago. Muneca brought Abuelita a lot of happiness and joy through the transitions she had to go through  moving out of her own home, hospital visits, and other changes that were happening to her as she grew older.

But through it all, Abuelita was accepting of all people, and most importantly, she recognized the importance of love between people, all kinds of love, whoever we are. It made me especially happy to know that she loved Amy, that she accepted us as she did everyone, and that she loved to be with us.

Awhile back, we started a blog for her, called Keeping Up With Francis, to help her keep track of her 4 children, 12 grandchildren, and 24 great-grandchildren. But there were sooooo many, WE were the ones who couldn't keep up! 

Most recently, in the past two years or so, we've been bringing Abuelita to Freddie's on Saturday and Sundays. She liked being there, the singing, the colors, the food, the desserts(!), and she always felt comfortable there, even when the world seemed to go faster than she did. It was great because everyone at Freddie's made her feel special. It's something I'll always appreciate. They made her feel like a Queen among queens.

In the week after she died, I'd been hoping for a sign from her, to appear to me in a dream or an apparition, to let me know she was ok. I told a friend about it on our way to Freddie's with my Mom and Amy one evening. As soon as we got there and sat down, they had a prize drawing, as they always do, and Amy won! For the next drawing, my friend won! Then at the third drawing, I won! There was a 4th drawing, and thank goodness someone I didn't know won, because everyone would have thought I'd rigged the game! Ha! But then at the 5th drawing, my mother won! 

So THAT was the sign from Abuelita to assure me that she's is in a happier place, and she's making sure that we're all in a happy place, too. So thank you, Abuelita. I'm glad to know you're happy. That makes us happy too, and we'll always love you. 

I know where my abuelita is:  She is in my heart between my little Sienna and Chocolate!

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OBITUARIO

Francisca Ramos

9 marzo, 1923 – 17 febrero, 2018

National Funeral Home & Memorial Park

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Francisca Ramos

9 marzo, 1923 – 17 febrero, 2018

National Funeral Home & Memorial Park

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