I was born in Puerto Rico and spent half my childhood in “La Isla del Encanto” or the enchanted island as it is called. Years later, while in the U.S., I married into a large, multigenerational Ecuadorian family.

When my first-born child was about 6 years old, he started asking a lot of questions about our family. 

Elderly parents and relatives are a huge blessing in our lives. They are an integral part of our families as they help pass on tried and tested wisdom, help raise our children, and shower us with unconditional love. But what if that blessing becomes a test?

Living through a pandemic is not an event that every generation will be able to claim.  COIVD-19 has altered our daily lives, filled many of us with fear, has claimed the lives of loved ones, or perhaps caused serious illness.

The concept of family conceived through the first humans Adam and Hawaa, peace be upon them, and through them emerged the rest of mankind. The Quran mentions:

Growing up in multicultural and cosmopolitan Montreal, the largest city in the Canadian province of Quebec, I was raised in diverse neighborhoods all of my life. I had also experienced snippets of racism as a dark-skinned, Hijab-wearing Musilm at times.

Published in 1999 and co-authored by Pat Schwiebert and Chuck DeKlyen, Tear Soup contains a remarkable recipe for healing after loss - for children aged 8 and above, as well as adults.