Hispanic Heritage : Presently I’m in quiet contemplation after watching my favorite movie of all time, The Way. Today thirty-eight years ago Mama died. I remember every detail and how my entire life turned upside down in a matter of twelve hours. The dates in September never left me because it was Mama’s favorite time of the year, Diez y Seis de Septiembre. We lived side by side in a duplex in San Antonio; she watched over my grade-school-age sons, and I worked as a single mom. She was my rock. The weekend of the Diez y Seis festivities was an opportunity to play as two single women free from the care of children who were spending the weekend with their dad. Play we did by attending as many Diez y Seis festivities as San Antonio offered on September 14 and 15, 1985. She attributed the headache she woke to on Monday, the real Diez y seis, as a consequence of listening to too many loud Mexican polkas and conjuntos. But that wasn’t the case—it was an aneurysm that burst the night of her favorite day of the year. The movie The Way, which I’ve watched for the umpteenth time, is a beautiful tribute to the death of a loved one and the subsequent pilgrimage taken by the one left behind. El Camino de Santiago, featured in the film, is the road that leads to Burgos Cathedral, the burial site of Mama’s ancestor, El Cid, mentioned in the film, and whose remains are located in this historical Spanish city. The script was written, produced, and directed by Emilio Estevez. His father, Martin Sheen, plays the lead role as the grieving father whose life is turned upside down by the death of his son and decides to carry out the journey his son was unable to complete. Emilio Estevez appears as the spirit of the lost son. What resonates is the three fellow travelers, strangers who accompany Martin Sheen in El Camino, and their developing deep love and affection for one another This movie is the story of every one of us who continues after excruciating heartache. We pick ourselves up and our journey endures. Not only does it give me a good cry, but I also feel so much better afterward. Watch The Way on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Way-Martin-Sheen/dp/B007772IZY
I'm glad you survived this as you were a great mentor to me.