Querida Madre,

Mami,

I see you. I see you in me. You are so powerful, and strong that I am convinced that you are a goddess. You raised three girls on your own, and you have done a magnificent job, because look at us, we are Queens. I saw how you made sure that we had everything that we needed while growing up from clothes, food, and love. We were so spoiled, but you made sure to humble us. You worked double shifts, and long nights to make sure that you were able to provide for us and be able to take us to our homeland (Dominican Republic) every summer after school ended. Toward the end of our trips you would have my sisters and I go through our clothes in our luggage and gift half of them to our family and friends in the Dominican Republic. It didn't matter how much we had spent on the clothes or if it was our favorite, we gave it away. As time went on it was something I did without thinking twice about it. At a young age I came to realize where I was privileged compare to my friends and family in the Dominican Republic, and the beauty of giving. I give with intent, and you gift yourself so much more when you're not attached. You taught us what it really means to give.

You taught us what hard work and dedication looks like. I witness all of the sacrifices you had to make in order to make sure that we had everything that you never did as a child. You sacrificed leaving your home country to migrate to a country that you felt provided so many more opportunities for you and your family. You left what you knew and your family. I remember those nights when you would take my sister and I to your nightly english classes at Roxbury Community College because you had no one to watch us, but you knew that learning English was extremely important in order to survive in America. You were able to save up enough money and maintain a good credit in order for us to move out of the bad neighborhood that we were living in, where we witness so much trauma. You kept us safe. You sacrficed your passions and dreams, in order for us to have our own.

You taught us what unconditional love is through your actions. I see how important family is to you. As an adult I continue to learn from you. I see how you spend two nights out of the week at grandmas house because you dont want her to feel alone. I see all of the favors you do for a lot of our family members who probably don't ever acknowledge it. Recently, I had asked you, "Why are you doing this for them if they don't ever do it for you and probably never will?" Your response was, "Because they need it." You give without expecting anything in return, and you're so humble.

You have allowed me to be me. You gave me the space and the freedom to evolve on my own. By having my own experiences, exploring, and learning on my own. You supported me during those traumatic and hard experiences, and I never felt judged by you. You made sure to do your job as a mom in guiding me, and not molding me into the person that you want me to be. I thank you for that. If someone was to ever ask me to describe you I would say,

Mami is an angel on earth. This world does not deserve her, but this world needs people like her. Mami is like the light that you need when you are scared of the dark. Mami is probably stronger than you, and a very powerful Latina woman. Mami is a Goddess, a Queen, a Survivor, and an amazing human being.

I see you. I see you in me, and for that I am forever grateful.

Tu querida hija,

Giselle