Discovering who you are

Recently, my husband and I spent some time in Bisbee, Arizona. It’s a town not far from Tombstone and the famous OK Corral, but has a story all its own. The eclectic hippie town that housed a melting pot of cultures for the copper mine, is artistic and unique. However, for me and my family it is much more. My grandfather, Francisco, came from Spain and married my grandmother, Ysabel, from Mexico and both came to Bisbee to experience the American Dream. Though neither one spoke any English, they owned a handful of businesses at different times for the constant influx of miners. Everything from a restaurant, bar, ice cream shop, and gaming hall. My father, Miguel, and his 6 siblings were born in a little two-room house atop Miller Hill. The stories my father told me as a child came to life while I was there. We hiked the endless concrete steps that led to their home on the mountainside. We walked Brewery Gulch where the buildings that housed their businesses still stand. We explored the haunted hotels and rode the train in the copper mine, but above all, I got a chance to see what they saw and walk where they walked because not much has changed since they lived there from 1914 to the late 1920’s. My sweet grandfather turned 100 years old when I was 13 years old. Yes, you read that right…my grandfather. He passed away two years later. I barely knew him or my grandmother who followed shortly in death. Thankfully technology has made it possible for us to research our ancestors whose blood runs through our veins but we know little about. The stories I have uncovered not only bring me closer to them, but instills a sense of pride and respect for their strength and courage. They faced challenges I could not even comprehend facing, such as the Great Depression, World War II where 5 stars hung from their window representing the 5 sons who went to war and ALL returned which is a miracle in itself, poverty, hunger and at times racism for their cultural differences. Today, we are facing challenges in which some are similar and others are not, but as I read my grandparent’s stories, I feel buoyed and empowered to face what lies ahead ahead knowing they are a part of me.