La Virgen De Guadalupe has always held a prominent role in my life but over the years, my perception of her has drastically changed. As a child, I remember constantly seeing her image demonstrated all over my house and throughout my community. My family, being very Catholic, devoted a lot of their time to her and celebrated her whenever they could. They had these very traditional views about her and what she represented which they later passed down to me. However, I never much cared for my religion or the church growing up. I understood why my family felt so drawn to it. They needed something to believe in, something that would give them hope. I was never able to find that sense of hope. The church oftentimes shared ideas that went against me and everything I stood for. I found it extremely difficult to dedicate a part of myself to that place and was often shamed for it. That prompted a very rocky relationship between me and my parent's religion. Although I didn't care much for their beliefs, my family still demanded I accompany them to church. Within these spaces, I had to find something that would keep me from going insane. La Virgen De Guadalupe was always a figure I felt very drawn to. During a time when I so desperately needed something to help hold me together, she was there to provide comfort. Since then, I have always made sure to keep images of her around me. I have photographs of her around my home and even wear a pendant of her around my neck. There is just this welcoming energy about her that has always captivated me. My relationship with La Virgencita holds great significance as I hold a lot of appreciation for her. Just seeing her, I feel safe and at home.
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