Valentina Vanegas Mendez TP in Colombia
Veronica Bedoya TP in Colombia
When I was 14 years old, my mother passed away. It was an unbearable shock, leading me down paths I should have never taken. She was my driving force, and even though she is no longer here, she continues to be. She pushed me in life and continues from heaven to help me become a better person and pursue my dreams and my professional career. She taught me the meaning of strength and love, and thanks to her, I have learned to get back up every time I’ve hit rock bottom. She was my strength and inspiration. She taught me to believe in myself; because of her, I am who I am today. She showed me the value of following my path and, most importantly, guided me to raise my daughter just as she had raised me. I know that even though she is in heaven, she never stops guiding and supporting me. Because even if she’s not physically present, she is always with me in spirit, and thanks to her, I am the woman I am today.
As a child, I always wanted to grow up quickly, but I didn’t understand what that truly meant. I didn’t realize it meant less time with my mother, nor did I fully grasp what she had been through. My mother grew up in challenging circumstances. My grandmother had 20 children in a ma- cho society, and at the age of 14, she became pregnant, losing her one- year-old daughter due to neglect. Later, my sister and I were born twins, and we grew up almost alone, spending entire days and nights without much company. Although my mother wasn’t very present in my upbringing, she had mo- ments that made me happy, like when she would come home on Fridays with fast food. Now that I’m a mother to a wonderful 10-year-old boy, Oliver, I realize that I prefer to be more present and provide him with better nutrition, but those moments, simple as they were, brought me a sense of happiness. Today, with the passage of time and my mother growing older, I realize we have little time left to enjoy together. As a mother and grandmother, she can’t enjoy her role as she would like, and it’s becoming more difficult to have her near us. Through everything I’ve lived, my mother taught me many valuable les- sons. She taught me not to repeat past mistakes and to heal my wounds so that I don’t reflect them onto my son, who has no fault for what I went through. I learned to be strong and to move forward, as I have done on my own until now. Today, I can say with all my heart that I am a strong mother and an admirable woman. I write these words with tears falling from my eyes because my mother’s courage, despite everything, has giv- en me the tools to be who I am today.
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SOURCE OF INSPIRATION
LETTERS TO MOTHERS
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