Holiday Season
The Holiday season is starting. For the next few weeks many of you will meet with family over Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. As you enjoy the warmth of being with your family, you can deepen family bonds by learning about your Terlingua family or sharing with those younger family members what you know.
I remember that when I was about 5 years old we moved from Alpine Texas to Hobbs New Mexico. We didn't know anybody there except a couple of families who were from Terlingua. Even though I was very young, I could tell that my parents and those families treated each other like family and not just friends. It could have been very lonely there, but instead, we instantly had family around.
Later we moved to Pecos, Texas and my father actively sought out former Terlingua families. Again we visited with each other as if we were family. In fact, some of them were related to either my mother or father. Others were "Compadres."
My godparents, my "padrinos," in Hobbs, New Mexico were my parent's "compadres." I have noticed that the relationship of compadres is a very strong bond that makes family out of friends. In fact they refer to their padrinos, compadres, and comadres with the relationship as a title before the name. So they will say "mi padrino Goyo," or "mi comadre Jesusita." So by blood or by special relationships all former Terlingua families treated each other like family.
In a way those bonds in 2009 grow out of a common and unique history our families share. Those of us who never lived in Terlingua look for ways to deepen that sense of family in ourselves and to pass it on to the younger people. That may explain why people go to Terlingua for formal reunions as the Villalbas recently did; or informal ones as Simon Franco's extended family did. Simon Sr. had a tradition of going to Terlingua around October. His family continues that tradition.
If you feel this sense of belonging to the greater familia de Terlingua you can increase that bond. We can all be cousins and compadres by learning and sharing. Over the next few weeks of the holiday season, as you meet with your families, you may be blessed with wonderful opportunities to learn or share. You can add to the holiday conversations with discussions about life in old Terlingua for your ancestors. What people and places had dual names? What do they remember or what have they heard about life in old Terlingua? Even small details matter. Ask those around you, young and old. You may be surprised who has information you did not know.
If you want to share with the greater familia de Terlingua one way would be to post your facts, memories and photos on Familias de Terlingua. We have a backlog of information that we are adding as quickly as we can. But we would welcome you enriching all of us with your family memories or discussions or videos and photos.
You can post on a Family Discussion. You can post on any discussion, but we are adding a general discussion for any family not yet identified (which we know are many) or any topic you want to bring up. Or you can reach us by email if you prefer with your information, stories, recipes, anecdotes, customs, photos, and videos about our common roots -- the people who lived in the greater Terlingua area before 1946.
We are family! Don't be shy. Share. This is not a literary publication. This is not a historical research site. This is our place to share the bonds of family; just like you will share in many living rooms and dining rooms over the next few weeks.
But the main thing is that you enjoy your holidays!
I remember that when I was about 5 years old we moved from Alpine Texas to Hobbs New Mexico. We didn't know anybody there except a couple of families who were from Terlingua. Even though I was very young, I could tell that my parents and those families treated each other like family and not just friends. It could have been very lonely there, but instead, we instantly had family around.
Later we moved to Pecos, Texas and my father actively sought out former Terlingua families. Again we visited with each other as if we were family. In fact, some of them were related to either my mother or father. Others were "Compadres."
My godparents, my "padrinos," in Hobbs, New Mexico were my parent's "compadres." I have noticed that the relationship of compadres is a very strong bond that makes family out of friends. In fact they refer to their padrinos, compadres, and comadres with the relationship as a title before the name. So they will say "mi padrino Goyo," or "mi comadre Jesusita." So by blood or by special relationships all former Terlingua families treated each other like family.
In a way those bonds in 2009 grow out of a common and unique history our families share. Those of us who never lived in Terlingua look for ways to deepen that sense of family in ourselves and to pass it on to the younger people. That may explain why people go to Terlingua for formal reunions as the Villalbas recently did; or informal ones as Simon Franco's extended family did. Simon Sr. had a tradition of going to Terlingua around October. His family continues that tradition.
If you feel this sense of belonging to the greater familia de Terlingua you can increase that bond. We can all be cousins and compadres by learning and sharing. Over the next few weeks of the holiday season, as you meet with your families, you may be blessed with wonderful opportunities to learn or share. You can add to the holiday conversations with discussions about life in old Terlingua for your ancestors. What people and places had dual names? What do they remember or what have they heard about life in old Terlingua? Even small details matter. Ask those around you, young and old. You may be surprised who has information you did not know.
If you want to share with the greater familia de Terlingua one way would be to post your facts, memories and photos on Familias de Terlingua. We have a backlog of information that we are adding as quickly as we can. But we would welcome you enriching all of us with your family memories or discussions or videos and photos.
You can post on a Family Discussion. You can post on any discussion, but we are adding a general discussion for any family not yet identified (which we know are many) or any topic you want to bring up. Or you can reach us by email if you prefer with your information, stories, recipes, anecdotes, customs, photos, and videos about our common roots -- the people who lived in the greater Terlingua area before 1946.
We are family! Don't be shy. Share. This is not a literary publication. This is not a historical research site. This is our place to share the bonds of family; just like you will share in many living rooms and dining rooms over the next few weeks.
But the main thing is that you enjoy your holidays!
