Going to your cousins wedding

I had a plan, I thought.

First, get you to pack a day early from the dorms
you were staying in
for the three week summer program

Second, get you excused from the program early

Three, take you to your mom's house to get dressed
and the have enough time to get back to Deforest
and have an hour to spare
before we traveled out of town for the wedding

But you did not understand my text message (again!)
and you did not pack
when I showed up you said you had thought about it
we spent an hour longer then i planned
but filled your dirty clothes and clean ones in the same bag.

I picked you up in the morning
and you said a few good byes and
we were still a half hour ahead of the schedule
so I was feeling pretty good

your sister was still asleep when I called
and seemed ready to almost get up
before we would get to your mom's house.

But she did not know what dress to wear
and when your mom offered advice
it did not speed things up

You mom made breakfast
and that seemed to help
even though I had asked you to eat in the cafeteria before I picked you up
and I had made myself breakfast earlier

I probably should not have said
"Is breakfast ready?"
when I called to try to wake up your sister
and your mom answered

but by the time we were all ready
you ended up wearing shorts
for the wedding ceremony
and jeans and a pink shirt for the reception

It was probably the first time
you have been around
so many mexicans

the same mexicans
i had grown up with
who taught me about love, friendship and violence
where I learned about fear
anger and avoiding pain.

and it brought back so many memories
of friends
and acquaintances
that it seemed like I was sixteen again
with just enough confidence
to not know what I was doing again

you hung out with your family
and it is starting to sink in
that you are part of this thing
our family
which is great and bigger
then you can imagine
and will be with you
long after I am gone.