Abuela Claudia is the matriarch of a Latinx community in Washington Heights, Queens, New York. Although she does not have any children of her own, she has become the unofficial grandmother to many, offering advice, comfort, and love to her neighbors. As she sings in one song, she lives with "Paciencia Y Fe" -- patience and faith. She is a mentor especially to the young women and men in this neighborhood.
One of them, Usnavi, pays tribute to her practice of gratitude:
"She sang the praises of things we ignore: glass coke bottles, bread crumbs, a sky full of stars. She cherished these things. She'd say 'alabanza.' Alabanza means "to raise this thing to God's face" and to sing quite literally 'praise to this.' "
To Practice: As you go about your day, notice some little things you usually ignore. Pause and praise them by chanting "Alabanza."