How do we begin to describe this woman who gave us all her love unconditionally for so many years? She was sweet and loving to everyone she met. She loved God and believed in feeding the masses. It didn't matter if we brought home uninvited guests, her motto was always, "The more the merrier. There's always room in our table for one more".
Julia Alicea Roman Rivera was born August 23, 1937 in Moca, Puerto Rico. She came to the states at the age of fourteen, married and had her first child at the age of 20. She became a widow soon after and several years later remarried and had five more children. She became a widow for a second time but by this time the children were old enough to make a life for themselves. Then came the grandkids.
Oh, what joy! The sounds of pitter patters and laughter filled her living room every holiday. How she looked forward to those reunions. She would cook up a storm. The smell of arroz con gandules, pernil and pasteles filled the hallways of each tenement she lived in and we could not wait to get into her apartment to devour her savory dishes. How about Thanksgiving, with those 25-30-pound turkeys? Oh, how delectable! After adding a few new pounds we'd dance, sing and laugh until we got too old for that stuff, now our holidays consist of sitting around the living room socializing yet still laughing up a storm together.
Life was not always a bowl of cherries for mom. Life dealt her a hard hand, but she did the best she could with what she had. There wasn't always enough money for clothes and Christmas gifts, but we didn't mind because somehow her cooking made everything all right.
How about accidents. One of the brothers made it a habit of needing stitches on his head while another went camping and came back with a broken leg. Somehow mom found herself constantly in the emergency room. I personally came home one day with a large scratch across my neck. When asked what happened I told her I got it in a fight with a girl who was trash talking about our family. At first, she got so mad at me and told me off. She had not raised me to be that way, she raised me as a decent Christian young lady. But then two hours later, she sat by me and asked, "so did kick her ass?" I looked at her and smiled and said, "yes mom, she won't be trash talking about anybody's family for a long time."
Mom always wanted what was best for us. When the guys would lose their jobs, mom gave them money everyday to go out and search for another one. When the girls got married and had babies, she was always there to babysit and care for them. If anyone got sick, she immediately became their nurse, whipping up teas and concoctions from her book of home remedies - cough syrups, ace bandages, finger splints with popsicle sticks, you name it mom knew how to fix it. She even taught us girls how cook, clean and construct. Ask my husband, he always tells everyone, "I married a woman with her own tool belt full of tools and she's not afraid to use them".
All we learned about caring for our children properly came from our mom. She leaves behind six children, Miriam, Jose Antonio aka Tato, Jose Enrique aka Ricky, Nancy, Ricky Nelson aka Nelson and Jacqueline aka Kelly. She also loved and nurtured fifteen grandchildren, Luis, Peter, Jessica, Jose, Joshua, Christopher, Daniel, Mathew, Daniel, Anthony, Marissa, Ryan, Dolores aka Erica, Heriberto aka Eric and Carlos. She further had the blessings of six great-grandchildren, David aka Josiah, Brandon, Haley, Jose aka Joe Joe, Aliya and Justin.
In the many years together, gatherings, graduations, and picnics, one thing never changed. When someone dropped a plate of food or broke some glass or just did something stupid, you could always count on mom to say, "You alaway do it!"
Rest in peace mom. Until we meet again.
We love you.
Kelly and family.