My Tita

Today’s Blog has nothing really to do with fashion or style, but has everything to do with a very special person to me that helped shape my life in so many ways…my Tita.  That's my grandmother in Arabic.  Tita would have celebrated her 93rd birthday on June 15th, but she passed away recently.  She is on my mind so much with her recent birthday and as we get ready to celebrate her during her 40 day memorial service on June 22nd at St. Elias Church.

Tita, Nuhad Nehmi Schuman, also known as Nu to many in her community, was a force to be reckoned with.  She was kind, loving, adored her family, the BEST cook, sassy, SHARP, fiercely loyal and mostly lived a simple life BUT a very interesting one at the same time.

Nuhad married a man 25 years older that came from America to her little village in Lebanon looking for a wife.  She was 17 and didn’t speak English at all.  Can you imagine?  She basically left her family for a better life in America.  She was BRAVE!!!  She created a life with my grandfather, Jim Schuman, in Lockart, Texas.  They had their small Lebanese community (mostly family, my grandfather’s family) in Lockhart, but she also built a community with her church in Austin at St. Elias with many other Lebanese families.

I will remember her the most for her delicious food, loving nature, strong christian beliefs, and teaching right vs. wrong, but it’s also important to note what a strong fighter she was and how she overcame so much.  As my mom would describe, she has survived three major tragic events in her life…the passing of her oldest child (Elizabeth), getting run over by a car (by my brother when we were toddlers inside the car), and a major car accident that resulted in around 30 surgeries for her to recover.  Even after dementia set in, she continued to fight until the very last day of her life.  I’m not sure I know anyone stronger than my Tita!

It’s also important noting that Tita made all of my mother and aunt’s clothes growing up and had an alterations business.  It’s fair to say that she is probably the starting point of how I eventually ended up in fashion.  Not because she was a fashionista by any means, but because my mother and aunt learned about fabrics and construction of a garment from Tita at an early age.  I think the two of them began their love of fashion from Tita and then passed it on to me.

As I get older I realize how much our upbringing has such a profound impact on our lives (good and bad).  When I was young, I didn’t realize how much our family rituals were laying this solid foundation for my life and the projection of my life.  As I’m raising my family, I continue to reevaluate these rituals to decide how many of these I want to continue and then build new traditions to build a solid foundation for my kids.  It also makes me proud to be part of a family that works so hard, protects our values, loves and supports each other and everything is centered around food!!!  And Tita is a great example of the American dream.  It’s something to be proud of! 

I also realize how important it is to continue to share our family’s history and stories.  My mother and aunt are such great story tellers.  I read somewhere that it is so important for our children to understand where they come from and that we need to keep our history alive.  It’s important to know where we come from, where our family has been so we can know where we want to go.  And what we are capable of based on our family foundation so we can all reach our full potential.  As someone that has always been focused on growth, I’m taking this important milestone in our family to energize me into doing my best to live out Tita’s legacy.  I know I’m proud to be her granddaughter and hope to continue to make her proud!

with LOVE and grace,

Elizabeth