Going for a visit to my grandparents’ house for a sunny Saturday is always the highlight of my weekend. As I take my first step through their small door, I always find myself in the warm and welcoming arms of my grandmother. Nana, we call her. My nana has a voice as sweet and smooth as honey, with a strong Spanish accent. She always knows just how to make me happy with her silly little jokes and her laugh as smiley as her face. As I am released from her affectionate squeeze, I continue my way through their happy little house in search of my grandpa. There are only two places where I ever find him: the kitchen or the backyard.

Today I find him in the backyard and as I step through the sliding screen door I can already hear him plucking and placing his newly ripe plums in a plastic bucket. Clip…Plop! Clip…Plop! “Grandpa!!” I shriek as I skip over to the bottom of his ladder. The beautiful purple tree whispers hello in the breeze; each leaf sparkling like ocean waves under the sunlight. I love this backyard, I think just to myself. My favorite part of this happy atmosphere is the colorful garden my grandpa has created. His mind, his heart, his hands. I love my grandpa, his voice a raspy singsong and his eyes are like chapters in a book, so knowledgeable and easy to read.

“Who’s hungry?!” My nana appears, walking slowly for her stubborn little knees as delicate as a fawn standing for the first time. She is a beautiful woman, my nana, with her heart filled with love and her mind with knowledge. As she steps closer to us now, humming a sweet melody to herself, I can see my favorite homemade meal. The tasty bean tostadas, the spicy yet ever so sweet mole, and the well-prepared traditional Spanish rice all neatly placed on her few favorite dishes. The mouth-watering aroma of Spanish chocolate fills the air and dances through my nostrils, leaving my stomach quite hungry. My heart swells with gratitude and excitement tingles in my fingers and toes. We gather around the green wooden table to enjoy our little picnic under the trees, smiles smeared across all of our faces. My nana, my grandpa, and me. We smile, we laugh, we love and are loved.