Then...
- 12 years old
- Guadalajara, Mexico
Now...
- 36 years old
- Burbank, California
- Housewife/part time retailer
My Story...
Never was the popular girl, or the girl next door. I was a very odd/simple girl. Always felt left behind.. Always skinny and shorter than almost all of the kids at school. The female body took forever! There were girls using make up and dyeing their hair, shaving legs, showing off the bra strap! I was a “very little girl” wearing the clothes my mom sew and knit for me. A very proud Mexican girl with very deep roots! Sometimes I can believe how elitist the people in my country can be.
Being the youngest child of my family (4 brothers and 2 sister more)when my closest brother was 8 years older than me, it was like growing up alone by myself, no kids around the neighborhood . Well just a few, my parents where almost like my grandparents, plus they got divorced when I was 7. We had not so much, and that was a big deal for me. Always craving others belongings. Now that I’m a 36 years old mother, I live in California (my girl will be 17 and my boy is 14) I try, with all my heart to explain my children the differences between the good and bad. And tell them how handsome and pretty they are no matter what. Trying to make them understand why they feel weird sometimes. Telling to them is normal at that age. :)
The elementary school to me was a nightmare, junior high wasn’t the exception, the next years were kind of the same. One day getting off of the bus one kid threw tomatoes at me. I cried all day and hated him. 14 years later we met again. I feel already like “that” girl was not there anymore, he tried to flirt. He failed :)
Even teachers were mean to me (some stole my lunch, some tried to get to close to me, made me give them massages. Some made me repeat the year!) ughh definitely being the “ugly duck” is horrible. But, pays off after some years!
I had and still have something on my favor. I laugh out loud hard! It is difficult to say to the kids just “keep it up” “don’t give up” “hang in there” when you are that age you don’t listen, you think you’re the only one suffering. Everything seems so complicated. I can tell you one thing. You’ll grow up, and that will be in the past! Nothing last forever. And it feels so good to see you did better than them. Somehow I grow up fine, feeling and being better than many of my bullies. And I know, I didn’t have it that hard as many other kids. I was lucky I guess. I am!