No one exemplified the old adage, “Good things come in small packages” more than Leonor Lazo González. I met Leonor in February 2008 during my second trip to the Zapotec village of Teotitlán del Valle. I’d met her son, Samuel Bautista Lazo, during my first visit to Oaxaca the previous year and he was anxious and very proud to introduce me to his family.
From that very first meeting I could tell that, while diminutive in stature, Leonor had an enormous presence that radiated strength, inner peace, and joy. And, she had a smile that could light up the universe!
Once I moved to Oaxaca and began spending a lot of time in Teotitlán, I always looked forward to seeing her at her stall in the mercado, running into her during a village celebration, or stopping by the family home.
In the words of her son, she was, “a loving warrior, a great mother, teacher, artist, healer, weaver and business savvy, daughter of the abuelas of the Pleiades.”
With great sadness, I must speak of Leonor in the past tense. After a long and valiant battle, she has moved on in her journey. As Sam wrote announcing her passing, “she will be at peace wherever consciousness goes after life and that her legacy will continue and that she will live in our memories and will continue to come back to be celebrated with life every year for Na’ tugul, day of the dead.” Rest in peace and power, dear Leonor.
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View From Casita Colibrí 