Una flor para Mariana

Una flor para Mariana   

Celebración de la vida de Mariana Martínez Prats

por Benito Prats Martinez

Mariana Guadalupe Martínez was born in Camaguey, Cuba, on December 12, 1926, the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Her first name, Mariana, combines the name of Jesus' mother, Maria, and Maria's mother's name, Ana. Our Lady of Guadalupe is known for a miracle of causing Castillian roses to bloom on a Mexican hill in winter, and Mariana's life has been always been filled with miraculous blooms.

She was the first of six children of a large family with many aunts, uncles, great-aunts and great-uncles all living under one roof.  Living in that house in the center of Camaguey with so much love and positive oversight she grew as wise as she was beautiful. Mariana Martinez graduated high school at Mariana Lola’s Angel de la Guardia boarding school in Havana, and went to Ursuline College in Chatham, Ontario, Canada, also known as “The Pines” where she studied, spoke and wrote English and French among other subjects.

When she returned to Camaguey she worked at Royal Bank of Canada as secretary to the branch manager expertly translating many documents from Spanish to English. She would often see a handsome young man, Benito, who directed their local church choir. One day this fine man offered Mariana a flower, una flor para Mariana, and asked her out for a date. They would go on many chaperoned dates; she would accompany him to practice on the church organ with her younger sister Elia Maria as chaperone. He would often bring flowers to adorn her home.

They married in the same church where they spent so much time together. Their first three children were born while they lived in a small apartment in Camaguey and Benito built his gastroenterology medical practice nearby. She now could fill her own home with flowers transplanted from the patio of her childhood home and nurture them and her three children with Benito at her side.

They moved to the newly built suburbs of Camaguey, el Retiro, in 1954 to a beautiful home that would soon be filled with the laughter of six children and many, many flowers including beautiful orchids growing high in the trees of the back yard … all of her most treasured possessions were at arm’s reach and she nurtured these for 7 more years in her tropical wonderland.

In 1961, she sensed the real threat to her children from the political turmoil that engulfed the country and she slowly, reluctantly opened her embracing arms and placed four of those treasures - José, Marga, Benny and Lola - gently on the shores of this great land where we now live – the United States of America. These children intertwined the strong, loving characteristics of the families that fostered them and sheltered them through the storms and the strength of this great melting pot, with the warm glow of love that Mariana placed in their hearts. Just like her delicate orchids that require a precise blend of nutrients to survive, she had provided her four blossoms with the care they needed to weather a long hard storm for 4 years.  With the two blossoms that remained in her arms, Iggy and Ange, she recited endless prayers and shed countless tears, never losing faith that God would protect her treasures and she would soon have them all reunited in her embrace.

Under God’s gentle guidance and with help from many friends, the renewed family started out in Falls Church then moved to Bethesda. The family inside this home grew stronger together as Mariana kept busy nurturing her children, cooking, doing laundry, driving all over Bethesda and caring for her aging parents. They moved to another house in Bethesda where she built and managed an impressive medical practice with Benito providing care for a large number of Cubans and other Hispanics during their first difficult years in the DC area. During this time, in the midst of Mariana’s busy life working day and night with children graduating from high school, there came a blessing – her seventh flower from God – Tony. Through many decades until their retirement this house was her second tropical wonderland, filled with these wonderful children and with the color and scent of Gardenias, Hydrangeas, Azaleas, Roses, Orchids, Clivias, Clematis and Forsythias, and Peonies.

Last February, after 62 years by her side, her handsome, steadfast, gallant husband, Benito, Papi, Abuelo, the man who brought so many blossoms into her life, passed into the hands of God, and Mariana wept.

Throughout these last months, she continued to be a beacon, the Castilian rose of our family, showing her feelings to us through her beautifully expressive face, her smile and her contagious laughter. Her caretakers at Ingleside – her new home and her new garden – also called her “Mami” because she was their Mami, and they showered her with constant support and love. She was surrounded during her last few months and in her last week by her sons, daughters, family and friends, until she finally was reunited with God and her Benito waiting with to embrace her and offer her a flower, una flor para Mariana.

Mariana leaves a strong and beautiful legacy in the families of her loving flowers - Jose and Phyllis and children Elia and Jeremy, Marga and Luis and children Patty, Danny, and Adriana, Benny and Martica and children Ana, Rebecca, Ben, Maria and daughter Sophia, Jose and his wife Maya, daughter Noelle and another baby due in April, Lola and Fred and children Nick and Christina and her fiancé Kyle, Ignacio and Jill and children Brian, Matt, Jena, Tom, Joe, Andrew and his wife Leah, Mike and his wife Lindsay, daughter June and another baby due in February, Angela and John and children Stephanie, Kelly and her husband Spencer, son Liam and another baby due in May and Tony and Kimberly and Mariana’s next grandson due in March. These families are Mariana and Benito’s flowers with the strength and goodness passed from their parents and grandparents on to their children, grandchildren, great-grand children and descendents still to come.

God, receive the soul of your beautiful and gracious servant Mariana, keep her in the Glory of Your Reign.
 

Mami,

escuchamos sonidos dulces,

sonidos de tu voz,

fuertes palabras de apoyo,

sentimos en nuestros rostros suaves besos,

caricias suaves como tu piel y tu mirada

y en la salida del sol - azul y rosado,
una nueva flor llamada Mariana
desde Dios para nosotros.
Amén

                                                                                                               Mami,

we hear the sweet sounds of your voice

strong words of support

we feel in our faces soft kisses, caresses

soft like your skin and your gaze

and in the sunrise

blue and pink

a new flower called Mariana  

from God to us all.

Amen.