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Reflections on being Latina in the USA... As latinos we need to work to make sure we are fighting white supremacy and anti-blackness in our society, communities and within ourselves. This is a never ending problem that we wont really begin to put a dent in until we start to look inward and reflecting on our attitudes about race and blackness. I am not perfect I've had to challenge and push myself to be better- specially now that I am a teacher and understand the social economic factors and the history that creates the situations we see play out in our schools. The truth is that we need to do better because we don't want to find ourselves perpetuating the same white supremacist attitudes that we have been oppressed by. At the same time we need to remember who we are as latinos and our own struggles and challenges and our history. Growing up in NYC I was never made to feel ashamed of my culture or ever felt the need to fit into white society. Yet it is disappointing and hea...

"The Old Souls of Mouraria" This summer I traveled to Portugal and had the wonderful opportunity to visit Mouraria. Mouraria is a  colorful, diverse and soulful neighborhood of Lisbon, Portugal. Mouraria is full of history- from the melodies of Fado being carried by the hands of a skillful guitar player,  to the old colorful tile covered houses inhabited by Portuguese families signals of the Moors influence in Portuguese history. But amongst all this magic I found "Um Tributo" by Camila Watson.  According to the explanation " The photographs on these walls are a tribute to the elderly who live here. They walk this Beco daily and their spirit makes this corner of Mouraria special".  This made me reflect a lot about the elderly in my family and how we treat them. How will I show respect and love to my parents in old age? As a Dominican we are very attached to our elderly and live and care for them till their death. We give them love and resp...

One of the issues I've struggled with throughout the year with this blog is the question of what is it's purpose. I am sharing a part of my life. The beauty I see around the world.  The truth is I've struggled to find that with the climate in our country. I've lost my inspiration because my job as a teacher is all consuming. Yet the undeniable truth is that my first and greatest passion has always been writing. I don't care who reads this all I know is I need to write. I was meant to. If this blog can be that space for me then it will be. In the next few weeks leading up to the end of the year, I will be doing recaps of the year describing and sharing different thoughts and feelings I've felt in 2018 through a series of blog posts! So look forward to that.

                                                                                              Reflections on Manuscript Found in Accra                                                                     Manuscript Found in Accra  is a novel by Paulo Coehlo. In this novel, a town is about to go to war where many will lose their lives and the town will most likely be destroyed beyond repair. The night before the war, the town gathers around a wise man who recounts stories, gives advice and encourages the villagers to have hope in the face of possible annihilation. Below I'l...