tamale making

I went to my aunt's house yesterday to learn how to make tamales. It was wonderful. A lot of work but a lot of fun. I don't have a great memory but there are bits and pieces of things i remember from my childhood, and one of the things i remember is my grandma's kitchen on tamale making days. Piles and piles of tamales, hojas, bowls of masa and a house full of family. I remember the smell. The delicious smell of corn masa and chile. I remember the laughter and stories. I remember eating the tamales, warm and fresh from the steaming pile, piled high by the working hands of my aunts and grandma.
I am so thankful for the invitation to learn how to make these most treasured and traditional tamales. Learning the way my Grandma made tamales. It is something that, as a daughter of a son, i don't have the opportunity to learn from my parent. It is something that could have been lost to me and my family. It is a wonderful gift that my aunt betty gave to me. I am thankful.
We had so much fun. The laughter and stories continued, this time in a different kitchen but with the same spirit and love. My grandma was not there physically but she was most definitely there. She was present in our hearts and her legacy lives on in her daughter and granddaughters. What a wonderful day.
I am ready to teach my brothers and sister. I will share my grandma's tamales with them and we will all continue to pass on her traditions.