Essay About Ladybug

The number one question I get asked is “Are you naturally a redhead?” followed by “Why is your tattoo a ladybug?” I say that I’m actually a brunette and explain that my mother and I got matching tattoos of a ladybug because she calls me mariquita, meaning ladybug in our native tongue. That’s the short story. Here’s the long story.
My mother and father met in Maracaibo, Venezuela, their homeland. She was a student, bank teller, and model. He was an export manager, recent divorcee, and father of three. When they got married, they decided they wanted to have their children be born in America, the land of opportunity. When they moved, they brought my older half-siblings with them. Despite having three children under her wing already, my mother longed to have twins. Her wish was granted. My brother, Nelson, and I were the first generation. My father traveled for work constantly, and my mother was an obedient housewife, tending to the family’s needs. Seven years later, my little sister Natalie was born. Shortly after, my parents finalized their divorce. Divorce hits all children and adolescents hard. They have to witness the love between their parents grotesquely morph into hatred spat in-between insults. They …show more content…
She cried when she heard my voice and told me how much older I sounded. I listened to her prate on about the ladies in the salon and how my grandfather was doing a great job at taking care of the chickens. At some point I felt driven to ask her why we couldn’t live with her. She told me then how she had suggested that multiple times to my mother, and my mother was actually the one to shoot the idea down. It would have been the easier choice: she could speak the language, find a job easier, and have our family take care of the kids. But she chose to keep us here where we could be free and reach our full