Playing with dolls as a child didn’t prepare me to be a teenage single mom.  My daughter, Angelica, was very demanding and full of energy.  I was up all night and tired all day. Bathing, feeding, dressing, and watching her kept me constantly busy but I loved her more than anybody else in the world so I didn't complain. It was all part of being a mom.

Angelica's blue eyes were beautiful like my dad's and mine. It was the only thing I loved about myself. Her fair skin and blond hair are not what  American people expected when they found out we were Hispanic.  But in Spain light color features are common.   My accent sounded European and although I have spent most of my life in California, I still have it.  I spoke English at home thinking that if I spoke Spanish it would confuse her but I was wrong.  Children have the capacity to learn several languages at a time; however, she learned some Spanish from my aunt when she babysat for me.

tender plum bud

   cuddled in nurturing boughs —

spring blossom