Maria Inocencia Cano

A Tribute to Mama

Born in Huancavelica, Peru in 1931. Since her childhood, Mama?s dream was to come to America for a life full of many opportunities for her and her family. When the opportunity arose she sent our father Raul to America while leaving her in Peru with her three year old daughter Nena and a four month old son Lito who at the time was very critically ill. She made many sacrifices that year, but she knew that her and her children would soon join our father in America for a new life full of hope, love, opportunity and happiness. Shortly after she joined her husband Raul in America she had another daughter named Leslie. With little money in their pockets, Mama did make her dreams come true and the dreams of all her children and grandchildren. Knowing little English and a specified skill she quickly threw herself into the work force as a drapery seamstress and later worked at Boeing and excelled as an interior panel assembler. Although she worked fulltime she always managed to give more than 100% to her children and family. She made home a place of great love always providing great encouragement to her children to always strive to be the best they could be while supporting and helping them in every way possible. As a woman of strong Christian faith and values, she was a very religious person who let her children know that with God all things are possible. That a family's strength and courage comes from always having God in the center of our lives and always being together and loving as a family and loving each other unconditionally as God loves us. Mama was love to us all and she was always giving of herself throughout her entire lifetime helping her children to reach their goals and make their dreams come true and climb many obstacles in their life. If her family needed food, she was there to give you food. If they needed financial support, she was there to give financial support to help you make your way. If they needed help, she was the first person there to give you assistance. If you needed advice she gave you her words of wisdom. If you needed a shoulder to cry on, she listened and gave you her love and encouragement. Her kids and family were always first, and she was the last person she thought of. But it didn?t stop there for she always had more than enough to give to her distant family in Peru and opened her home to many of them to help them too make their dreams come true. She also gave much to others in need as the poor and disadvantaged. To our family, Mama was the spirit of Christmas, 365 days a year. She loved to give never expecting to receive anything in return. With great sorrow, we will miss Mama but we are all comforted by knowing that she is at peace and her spirit is still with us and that if our family looks closely at each other, there is a little bit of Mama in each and every one of us. This Christmas will also be a special one; for we will carry out her traditions as she would of wanted us to and we will know that it is always better to give than to receive.