This is my mother’s small, golden-glass statue of Ganesh, one of the gods in Hinduism, from her mother in India. In our culture, you would place the small statue in your car to give you luck and safety. Ganesh is the god of overcoming obstacles, and commonly known as the “elephant headed god”. When I was little, I would take the statues of the gods that sat in my Dadi’s praying closet and play with them, fascinated by them. One of my favorites was the golden Ganesh statue because I loved the way the smooth glass felt on my soft hands and how the statue fit perfectly in the palm of my hand. The statue had been with my mom since she first immigrated to America for college in Florida. Now the statue sits on my Dadi’s praying dresser for everyone. We don’t keep it in our car, but I want to because it reminds me of India and my grandparents. I love how the golden glass catches the light, sending sparkles around the room like little shining birds taking flight. So that is why this statue is important to me and my mother. 

– M

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