Dear Mom,
I read a portion of a book called Telling to Live and one of the testimonios stood out to me and reminded me of our family. The testimonio is about a Puerto Rican woman named Celia Alvarez who lived in Brooklyn and how her parents stressed the importance of knowledge. Her parents ended up taking her out of P.S. 7 and enrolling her in St. James. She also talks about how she would do her homework and her readings in the kitchen with the noise from outside and while her mother made arroz con gandules. I related so much to this story because we went through very similar things. You moved my sisters and I from Queens to Brooklyn and took us out of the P.S. school we were in and put us in St. Joseph’s in Manhattan. One of my favorite traditions that we would do with you is when we all watch the news at five o’clock while you cook dinner every night. Alvarez talks about how books were so important to her and it reminded me of how you stress the importance of reading to me and my sisters.You and dad have always instilled in us how important education is and I am so grateful for that. Sometimes I wonder what my life would be like or have turned out if you and dad did not do the things you did for us. Alll of my sisters are so beautiful and intelligent and I know that you have taught us and helped us blossomed into who we are today. I know that everything you have done for us was for a reason and I just want to let you know how appreciative I am for everything you and dad have done for all of us. I love you guys!
Love always,
Amanda
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