CALIFORNIA—The generational story of My Mother’s Mirror reconciles roots with personal experience to shape identity and aspirations. The writing of it in two perspectives—mine and my mom’s—was an experience of a lifetime. It was as if I could see myself clearly in her reflection, feel her feelings, and connect to the amazing woman who I call my best friend; the woman who brought me into this world, the person who has molded me, the person who has made me both her master and masterpiece.
My sacred time with my mom enabled me to understand how she came from such restrictive communities to become the strong-willed, determined, and compassionate woman she is today. Life through cultural and personal extremes precisely drove her transformation, and bestowed a duty upon her to help others do the same. She raised me this way, and her advice has inspired my attitude toward relationships and life in general, through many challenges. I wish to pass on the tools and techniques to help women transform each obstacle into an opportunity through our paired narrative. I’ve been raised with support and to support, so there is no greater gift than using our stories to connect with others and empower them to be their best selves.
Childhood dreams are often long-forgotten due to their elusive nature. “I want to be an olympian,” “I want to be president,” ” I want to travel to every country in the world,” or, “I want to write a book one day.” All these aspirations– they keep our young minds active: fresh, energized, and eager. Yep, that child who sought all these dreams is me. Maybe the other three are really unattainable, but considering the fourth, perhaps not. Becoming a published author ignites some strange sensation, one so special then when I hold the weight of 500 or so pages that I’ve written, I feel as full as the front cover is to the back. It’s not so much a personal fulfillment from just completing an extensive work as it is one for those who engage with what’s written on those pages. I hope each person can find themselves in one of the roles embodied by me, my mother, or my grandmother in some stage of life (I’m sure you can.) I hope that by identifying with our many challenges, and knowing that more obstacles are imminent on our roads ahead, you can employ the many tools included in each story. Helping others through similar obstacles and equipping them with skills to confront them responsibly, respectfully, and assertively will give me the fulfillment I seek.
