De Jorge en Mi Cumpleaños

My father had a very nice outlook on life. He always wanted to make the best of our "opportunities".When our family had to leave Ecuador in 1965 we were in the middle of our school year, so instead ofmaking us join the year behind us we went ahead on to the next year. That is why Lucho, Pancho, and I werebarely seventeen when we graduated from high school.Somehow Delia's birthday got confused with August 7th, it may have been so that she could start school earlier and notlater. This last week something was on my mind that a momentous date was about to come up. I thought it was October 9th, Guayaquil's independence,or someone's birthday. On my way to Katy this Friday it finally clicked that it was Delia's b-day the feeling I had been having all week andcould not figure out what it was. Our baby sister turned forty something. So I want to use this birthday letter to say something about our youngest sibbling. Congratulations!!! She is married, a mother, a very good one at that, and an almost doctor. It has been a long haul but she is doing it.In spite of all this she looks younger, fit, and ready to go at all times. In spite of all this growing up she has not developed any wrinkles,and either she uses great hair coloring or has inherited the no gray hair Duchicela gene. She continues to be jovial and endearing, and shestill beats me to a pulp whenever she delusions into Mano 'e Piedra Duran (Panamanian world boxing champion) who flirted with a once youngerexpatriate calling her "chinita". I am very proud of what she has done all these years, very grateful for all the work in Ecuador and keeping our family together.She holds the memories of our parents as they were enjoying their last years together in Panama. So to you my baby sister, on that special day that just passed us by, Tuesday, October 7th, all my love and hugs. And with all my heart Ipray to the spirits of my father and ancestors, and to the infinite Pachacamac, to give you health, love, and much happiness. Que viva la santa!! Y que gane Ecuador hoy. Jorge