Saturday, May 9, 2009

Mami... besame mucho

Good morning world. Today as I go into this day I want to acknowledge and remember that there is a very large world out there who I shy away from or do not reach out to give them love. Something has changed since mami’s death… within me. I want to be alone… or is it because I am alone and have to make peace with this… whichever one it is , it is one that I am feeling today, the day before my first mother’s day without my mami. So I will share a mami story and my feelings and I welcome you to take this journey with me.

I remember that after mami's stroke, I was constantly attempting to discover whether or not she recognized me and if she had some brain acitivity. The Saturday, after her stroke I was visiting her in the CIU and had been there about 2 hours reading and talking to her. When I was leaving and I was saying goodbye she opened her eyes… I grabbed her good hand and held it in my hand. She then with her thumb kept rubbing my thumb… stroking, stroking… and she would not stop. It was a precious moment.

I am going to attach the music of Placido Domingo, the tenor… one of mami’s favorite in her honor and I will play Besame Mucho (Kiss me a lot). When at the hospital after her stroke I would bring mami out of her mental state with her music and CDs. And one day I knew she understood what I was saying because Besame Mucho came on and I asked her if she knew this song and she threw kisses at me! So I was getting through! A Hallmark moment indeed… Now go and listen to Placido Domingo and Paloma San Bacilio singing "Besame Mucho!"

http://bit.ly/AJcsW

Mami and I took a day trip some years ago, about 7 to be precise from Washington, D.C. suburbs, Silver Spring, MD to New York City to see a show, have dinner, whatever the day gave us. On our way we stopped at the home of a high school classmate of mine from Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, Ismael Vega. He lives in South Jersey. They had all kinds of pastries and coffee and we ate so much we barely made it to our show downtown at 1:00 pm. We drove into the city via the Tunnel, parked our car and took a cab to Broadway.

This beautiful photo was taken in New York City in a small restaurant after seeing Man of la Mancha with second row seats (yeah) by Brian Stokes Mitchell... he had been in Trapper, M.D., he was the doctor with the afro. I will post his two magnificent songs of the musical so you can feel his interpretation of Cervantes Don Quijote de la Mancha 's essence of life, purity of spirit, and love towards Dulcinea. Mami and I purchased the CD and on our drive back to Washington, D.C. we heard it over and over again. This is is Brian Stokes singing to Dulcinea and The Impossible Dream. Don Quijote I believe was schizophrenic and he saw more than the common folks... No son gigantes que son Molinos!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZE4KGB6Wt4&feature=related

We can experience his purity of heart as he sings to his beloved Dulcinea... or so he thinks she is... but is she... we all fell in love with this Quijote... what do you think?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLsQvCKG58k

Peace out on this day... me I am having conflicting feelings and I am very sad. It is what it is... Tomorrow is another day... and so is Monday... so this in my mami's honor... a bit of my heart and joy we experienced some years ago. You are welcome to comment at the bottom. I love to get remarks and answers to my questions, although some are hypotheticals. Again PEACE OUT PEOPLE!

2 comments:

  1. How beautiful! You've touched me with your words and your memories.

    And thank you for sharing Brian Stokes Mitchell's rendition of The Impossible Dream. I had never heard him sing this song and if I may say, it brought tears to my eyes. How wonderful that you and your mother had the opportunity to watch Mitchell's performance live. I am envious. I've just listened to it three times and will do so again when I leave here.

    May you be at peace with your world and the memories you carry of your mother.

    Thank you for sharing, Deborah. Thank you.

    -mario

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  2. Did you listen to his rendition of his loved one that Quijote is convinced that her name is Dulcinea and sings to her but it really is not. She is electrified by his love, although she does not understand this purity of heart... he sings this to her in the deepest and sweetest voice that tears came to my eyes and when I looked at mami she too had tears... fell his love through his voice... what a performance... to move us that way... listen to Dulcinea above... it should move u

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