Let the Puerto Rican Superstition Be: I will not wear bobby pins to sleep tonight My mom was a very typical Puerto Rican woman. She voted in every election and passed that habit onto me. She spoke Spanglish with gusto. She loved rice and beans and dark, […]
I am Pandartados: warrior goddess for social justice with a sense of curiosity, whimsy and humility I am revved up this morning as I run on the treadmill. I’m a bit peeved at the daring idiocy of some people. I should know better than to read work emails […]
Winter is Coming: Where are the bright lights? If you watch Game of Thrones or the 100, your viewing consciousness is filled with ominous warnings that “winter is coming.” Such a term signals that a certain brooding darkness is coming. Of course, those of us in places that […]
Traveling the world with my son: seeing the struggle, resilience and endurance of people As a girl who grew up in deep poverty in the South Bronx where crack was plentiful and milk was not, I learned a thing or two abut resilience and endurance along the way. […]
Flip flops and my new life chapter I do not wear flip flops. Never has been part of my attire repertoire. Never will be. I am a high heels kind of girl. I also wear comfortable walking Shoes for the city of New York. If you wear flip […]
Letting my sister evolve while still picturing her as a munchkin As the older sister by nine years, I have seen my younger sibling transform from a munchkin to a full-fledged adult. That is, indeed a wild ride. I still think of my sister as the little […]
I dream of hearing my voice again on a Sunday Ah, Sundays! Crazy Sundays. Growing up, my mom would have me perform skits, dances, story-telling and musicals. She loved “crazy Sundays.” Having me perform brought her such joy. We would laugh for hours. It was where […]
The Cool and Hip Aunt Day Growing up my family was a fairly conservative Hispanic family. Sleepovers were not allowed because that was considered inappropriate behavior. Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” song was a constant hymn. My mother never had a single drop of alcohol in her […]
I was meant to be a psychologist: But Why? I was a smarty pants, book smarts girl from the South Bronx. I read ten books a week sometimes for books were my escape into other worlds and realms of possibilities. I knew there was more out […]
Mi chiamano Mimi: What’s in my Mimi-esque name Growing up I was mimi. It was an endearing nickname that sounded younger and hipper than my actual name. Because I was one of very few Hispanic students when I went away to boarding school I no longer […]