Author Archives: juanzqui7

I SPENT MUCH of yesterday evening outside, in my sister’s backyard, with two of my sisters, a brother-in-law, a niece and a nephew. We enjoyed the cool spring breeze, sipped on some cheap wine and exchanged stories, new ones and … Continue reading →

A life came to an end early yesterday morning on a lonely stretch of road on the way to Del Rio, a town on the border some 90 miles from here. She was a distant cousin (granddaughter of one of … Continue reading →

A thick layer of South Texas fog hovers over the town, making 7 am seem like 6 or 5 and dampening the spirits of the birds, which remain silent. Except for the roosters in the distance. The dogs, of course, … Continue reading →

Over the last few days, as I have struggled to deal with the reality of the death of Bob Barton Jr. – longtime friend, former boss, mentor — I am repeatedly reminded of a scene from the movie, Hud, in … Continue reading →

A BIT MORE than 33 years ago, when I moved to Washington to enroll in American University’s one-year master’s program in journalism and public affairs, I knew no one in this city. I arrived about a week before school started, … Continue reading →

ON MY WAY to Ocotlan from Oaxaca via bus several years ago, I watched as a young man of about 20 boarded at a bus stop near the edge of the city. Carrying a black satchel, he made his way … Continue reading →

SOME THOUGHTS on the first day of the rest of my life. Or the last day of the old chapter in my life and the first day of the new chapter in my life. I have a things-to-do app on … Continue reading →

WE CAME HOME from school with a hopeful question. Dormio? we asked her. Did you sleep? Un poquito, she would say, or, Casi nada. Almost to herself, she would continue, Ay, Dios mío, I don’t know what I’m going to … Continue reading →

IN 1871, A PROMINENT Chicago lawyer named Horatio Spafford suffered a great loss with the death of his son. So profound was Spafford’s grief that he sat down to write a hymn that is one of the most beautiful and … Continue reading →

I SPENT PART of my morning on this day after Thanksgiving (I refuse to call it by that other, horrible name) raking leaves from my condo buildings small front yard and sidewalk. They all came from the lone massive oak … Continue reading →