Few hours too early but who cares — here’s a little letter I wrote to Gladys whose birthday is 7/31: Today marks the first birthday without you in body—But I remember you, Gladys Maya Angelou quoted Genesis in the Bible saying —In the beginning there was the word and the word was God and the word was with God. She imagined one day we would be able to measure the power of the word. And I heard somewhere that the word is the divine spark — entrusted to us. When we speak — we too create. And so I selfishly, to myself, every day…speak your name out loud. Sometimes it’s a whisper, other days, loud as I can. It is my hope that the spark in me, divine or not, that the pulse of my voice — of your name —shake death off of you — if only for a moment. Dr. Angelou said words get on the walls, they get in your wallpaper, in your rugs, in your clothes. And, finally, into you I pray my words move over under fast and quickly to find you. Abuela, — May you be born again and again across the universe — may the sound of my voice —carry you —into the wallpaper, in the rugs, in my clothes… And then finally — hopefully— back to me. I remember you, Gladys. Happy Birthday.