CEDRÓN
CEDRÓN By Annie Christina Abundiz Cedrón is a love letter to the cultural wealth of our Eastside community and ancestors, connecting us across time and regions. I bring in my grandmother to celebrate loved ones who teach us that care, love, and comprehension are the nourishing elements to harvest a more just and loving future.
In my grandmother’s house there is a garden a place where magic is cultivated A plant named Cedrón grows with love to nourish our souls.
While she boils the water preparing a tea, my grandmother tells stories of her past and present. I drink the tea as I listen to her voice, a melody of our wisdom.
My grandmother reminds me that we must nourish body and soul in order to heal. Her stories cure wounds of a country neglecting to see our beauty. With each cup of Cedrón I learn more about our culture. How we care for, love and protect one another.
I learn to value our cultural wealth, what others did not value in you and I. My grandmother’s values flow through my veins. I am love and hope. We are the magic of the garden. Lulled by the warmth of the sun, I ask Mother Nature, forgive the pain we have inflicted on you. I hope we can heal our scars together.
I dream of rivers and green landscapes. Planting a future with roots in the minds of our ancestors. Beloved grandmother, thank you for nourishing the magic in me. Thank you for loving and protecting our community.