As National Grandparents day approaches, let’s reflect on how our abuelitas have shaped us, for better or worse.

1). No one cooks better than abuelita

No one’s cooking compares to your abuelitas. Her arroz and frijoles are unmatched, and the years of you watching didn’t help. Yours always turn out a little burnt. Anything she cooks turns out perfectly golden.

2). You’re obsessed with telenovelas

I’m talking old telenovelas, like the ones where you had no idea what was going on. Still, you were hooked with the drama and romance. You’ve grown up watching telenovelas, and are filled with unrealistic expectations of men. Hunky Latin men are everything you’ve hoped for.

3). You never say no to seconds

Chances are, growing up with abuelita, you were always asked “Quieres mas, mija?”. She never even waited for your answer. She was up in a second warming up another tortilla. Obviously, this has translated into your life and you still always go for seconds. The scale probably doesn’t like it, but hey, it’s delicious.

4). You love coffee

You’ve ignored the whole “If you drink coffee, you’ll stop growing” myth since you were 15-years-old. She makes a pot several times a day, but the best ones are always at 10p.m. There will never be a coffee matched to her cafe de olla, but most days, Starbucks will do the trick.

5). You speak Spanglish

Growing up in a latin household, Spanish and English were spoken on the regular. Most times in the same sentence. You know both languages and sometimes, speak Spanglish yourself. You find yourself sounding like abuelita most days.

6). You love Selena

As a kid, I remember clearly going to a dvd store and seeing the Selena movie on the shelf. Almost immediately, my abuelita grabbed it, and added it to our cart. Ever since that day, I’ve watched Selena religiously. As a little girl, it was almost mesmerizing to me to see someone who was like me. I watched it daily, knew all the songs, and was absolutely convinced that I’d be a singer like her too. My favorite memories are singing and dancing together in the living room, laughing for hours.

7). You have advice for everyone

Abuelita always gave you the best advice and that translated into your life. You are basically the mom of your friend group. All your friends come to you for help or to vent and whenever they are in need, you have advice for them. Chances are this is a direct result of abuelita always being that person for you.

8). You love fall and winter time

Chances are fall and winter are your favorite seasons. Days of turkey, ham, tamales, pozole, mole, and menudo are close ahead. If you’re anything like me, you love it. You also gain around 10 pounds and tell yourself you’ll lose it in the new year, but you never do.

9). You have the biggest sweet tooth

My family doesn’t don’t do very much of anything in moderation. All family gatherings are loud, opinionated, and full of food. This of course includes dessert. You’ve grown up with arroz con leche, bunuelos, pan dulce, and basically all the postres. You love desserts, and thanks to abuelita, they are never in shortage. Her house smells like a bakery all the time.

10). Your love for your family is unwavering

Abuelita is basically the heart of the entire family. She fixes everything and she is there to support everyone. She loves everyone equally, and has always instilled the importance of family in you. Your talks with her are everything, and her words inspire you to be the best you can be. She taught you the value of family, and how love is always the answer. Not one family is perfect, but if they are filled with love for one another, they can overcome anything.