In a flashback the other day, I was back in Mexico, at the entrance of my maternal grandmother’s house. I could smell the food and hear the screams of my cousins, laughing, and crying. I asked my mother about the photograph that sat on top of my desk. I asked the story because I don’t have memories of my childhood and this is what she told me. It is not our story, it is your Grandparents’ story. Many beliefs have been passed down from their ancestors, asking God and the spirits for their family’s health. You had been sick for a few weeks and we took you to the doctor and they gave you seven vaccine shots and you still wouldn’t heal. This is where your grandparents come in and say “we’re going to see the cross, then we will go to church.” They intervened because they saw that you weren’t healing they were worried about you. The next day we walked 3 hours uphill until we got to the cross. Once we arrived, your grandparents set up candles and flowers at the foot of the cross. They prayed for your health to Our Lady of Guadalupe. We go and ask Our Lady for her protection and make a promise, but you can’t just promise something and not do it. If you promise it you must keep the promise, I have no idea what your father or your grandparents promised, but I promised that I would dress you up in traditional clothes every year on Our Lady’s birthday, but I promised to do it up until you wanted. After we came back it was a few days later you healed! I do not want to say that the medicine healed you but I also do not want to say that our promise healed you, because I do not know.  

– Jenifer C.

Relationship:  Child of im/migrant Child of im/migrant