As a child of divorce, I’ve always felt that there are many things that I missed out on due to my parents’ separation, especially because it was across two countries. Mom moved us all to Chicago, while my Dad stayed in our house in Puerto Rico. On the list of things I missed, there was […]

My very proper Mom recently told me that being married was overrated and I should just find someone—anyone—to father her unborn grandchildren. “I’m not getting any younger and neither are you!” may have been her exact words. As I stated in a past blog, La anti-Latina, I am an anomaly; a single, childless Latina in her […]

Originally published  at Being Latino Online Magazine I recently returned from living in Puerto Rico where I spent time getting to know my island, my family and my culture.  My experience there only confirmed what I’ve always known: I love everything about being a Puerto Rican Latina.  I love the fact that almost any occasion […]

Originally published in 2007 The train came out of the tunnel and I looked out to see the dark clouds.  Fear came over me as I remembered that I didn’t have an umbrella.  I hoped that I would make it to my station before the rain began, but there it was, that first drop on […]

I was a spoiled child the first few years of my life, at least where material things were concerned. When my parents divorced and my Mom moved us to Chicago. In addition to my parents’ marriage, gone were the pretty custom dresses and elaborate birthday parties. In their place were trips to the thrift store […]

Camilo Sesto and Roberto Carlos, both balladeers that were as much a part of my childhood as my Wonder Woman doll. My Puerto Rican parents preferred ballads over Salsa and Merengue, and those songs defined my early years. In fact, Roberto Carlos’ Yo Quiero Apenas was somehow to me the Spanish version of Coke’s I’d like […]

I’ve always loved birthdays. My early childhood memories are filled with big parties full of family and friends; beautiful birthday cakes, a pretty new dress, and the gifts, of course the gifts. As I got older, I carried with me the belief that birthdays were a time to laugh, have fun, and to celebrate life. […]

An interesting note about life: even when you know something wasn’t right for you, it’s difficult to accept it didn’t work out if it let you go instead of the other way around. I’ve had many such moments in the last few years, most recently last week.

I am a freak about sending Christmas cards. Every year I send over 50 cards to people I don’t keep in touch with on a regular basis, but that I still want to know about, even if only once a year. This year I won’t get to send one card. I am broke and when […]

When things are going wrong it’s easy to get muddled in the thick of negativity. I know that lately that has been my story. My normal happy-go-lucky self has been more of a cynic-at-a-pity-party self and I’ve discovered something: No one knows how to act or what to say. I liken it to the Emperor’s […]