My grandmother gave me a four inch Virgin Mary resin statue. Since little I used to watch my grandma pray over the santos as we call them. Santos are important to us and our culture because we pray on them and keep them in our prayers. I’ve always wanted Virgin Mary holding her child but apparently I was too young. My grandmother took it to church and got it baptized. Until this day I have no idea why. I’ve never thought of asking her why she did. Many people consider calling it a “a piece made by a person with absolutely no true meaning” because no one really knows what god looks like. But my grandma thinks differently and slowly I start to understand why she thinks differently. My grandmother taught me how we always have to pray to the santos because they have a part in the blessings we receive. But I mostly always pay to Virgin Mary holding her child. When I got older my grandma gave her to me and words can’t describe how excited I felt. At times I thought I couldn’t keep it because my grandma cherished it a lot. Now it goes with me everywhere I move. In order for me to keep it safe I leave it in my sister room because my room always messy. I can’t risk me letting it fall or putting it in the wrong place and it falling. 

– Wilmary R.

Relationship:  Im/migrant Im/migrant