By Abe Villarreal

Hola! It’s Hispanic Heritage Month and I have an urge to communicate to you in Spanish, but that, to some people, would be offensive. Ay yai yai...

Remember when high schools would require us to learn a foreign language? I grew up on the U.S. - Mexico border, so I took French. Don’t know much if it anymore, but I did enjoy learning how words are formed and expressions are created.

Language can be so amazing, and the Spanish language has some unforgettable phrases. Most of them come in the form of old wives’ tales that mama and nana told you.

Translated they sound funny, but to us they could be a matter of life and death.

Don’t shower when it’s thundering! Someone somewhere determined that a hot shower during a thunderstorm was a dangerous act. Remember this one? Don’t go outside with wet hair! In Spanish it sounds like this: No salgas con el pelo mojado! I’m still afraid to do it.

The wonderful phrases were almost always shouted out by our moms and grandmas because they said it just as we were committing these heinous acts. Moms have an unexplainable sixth sense. As a kid, you just can’t get away with anything. A mother knows.

I remember once when my grandma told me to not go out into the cold after being in the heat. If I did that too quickly, the temperature difference would leave my face distorted to the point it would never return to its normal shape. Cuidado! Se te puede torcer la cara.

One of my favorite things to hear from grandma was the saying Sana, sana, colita de rana, si no sana hoy, sanará mañana. This is a rhyme told to kids when they get hurt. I’m talking about the kind of hurt that is a temporary hurt, like bumping your toe on the furniture corner. It seems like the end of the world until your grandmother’s hands are rubbing your pinky toe while repeating this rhyme. A few minutes of this and you are healed. The thought of it now takes me back to my childhood.

I’m sure many of these words-to-live-by cross cultures and are not specific to Latinos. Don’t you all agree that being out in the rain could give you pneumonia?

In the Mexican culture, rhymes, homemade remedies, and old wives’ tales are an important part of your upbringing. You haven’t lived life until your grandma shares the importance of family, traditions, romance, and community through sayings and practices that have been handed down through generations. They are always shared with so much meaning and terms of endearment that will melt your heart. A mijito or a mijita from a grandma is never forgotten.

Are these old Mexican wives' tales true? Si or no? Don’t take a chance. Follow them always and the motherly amor of your Mexican ancestors will protect you for generations to come.

Abe Villarreal writes about life and culture in southern New Mexico. He can be reached at abevillarreal@hotmail.com.

Content on the Beat

WARNING: All articles and photos with a byline or photo credit are copyrighted to the author or photographer. You may not use any information found within the articles without asking permission AND giving attribution to the source. Photos can be requested and may incur a nominal fee for use personally or commercially.

Disclaimer: If you find errors in articles not written by the Beat team but sent to us from other content providers, please contact the writer, not the Beat. For example, obituaries are always provided by the funeral home or a family member. We can fix errors, but please give details on where the error is so we can find it. News releases from government and non-profit entities are posted generally without change, except for legal notices, which incur a small charge.

NOTE: If an article does not have a byline, it was written by someone not affiliated with the Beat and then sent to the Beat for posting.

Images: We have received complaints about large images blocking parts of other articles. If you encounter this problem, click on the title of the article you want to read and it will take you to that article's page, which shows only that article without any intruders. 

New Columnists: The Beat continues to bring you new columnists. And check out the old faithfuls who continue to provide content.

Newsletter: If you opt in to the Join GCB Three Times Weekly Updates option above this to the right, you will be subscribed to email notifications with links to recently posted articles.

Submitting to the Beat

Those new to providing news releases to the Beat are asked to please check out submission guidelines at https://www.grantcountybeat.com/about/submissions. They are for your information to make life easier on the readers, as well as for the editor.

Advertising: Don't forget to tell advertisers that you saw their ads on the Beat.

Classifieds: We have changed Classifieds to a simpler option. Check periodically to see if any new ones have popped up. Send your information to editor@grantcountybeat.com and we will post it as soon as we can. Instructions and prices are on the page.

Editor's Notes

It has come to this editor's attention that people are sending information to the Grant County Beat Facebook page. Please be aware that the editor does not regularly monitor the page. If you have items you want to send to the editor, please send them to editor@grantcountybeat.com. Thanks!

Here for YOU: Consider the Beat your DAILY newspaper for up-to-date information about Grant County. It's at your fingertips! One Click to Local News. Thanks for your support for and your readership of Grant County's online news source—www.grantcountybeat.com

Feel free to notify editor@grantcountybeat.com if you notice any technical problems on the site. Your convenience is my desire for the Beat.  The Beat totally appreciates its readers and subscribers!  

Compliance: Because you are an esteemed member of The Grant County Beat readership, be assured that we at the Beat continue to do everything we can to be in full compliance with GDPR and pertinent US law, so that the information you have chosen to give to us cannot be compromised.