Lang, Bella Week 3

     Although my personal experience in my later years with the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe is limited, my mom grew up in a highly Catholic household, and I would see pictures of the Virgin of Guadalupe when I was younger at my grandma’s house. I remember asking my grandma who the woman was, and why she had a picture of her framed. Her answer was harder for me to understand when I was young, but now, I know she was a powerful symbol for my grandma that represented ideas of faith, motherhood, and strength. My grandma worked very hard to be able to move herself and her family of 5 to the United States, and often worked tough, long jobs that were mainly occupied by men. For example, she had one job as a truck driver, and worked for more than 12 hours at a time. As expected, this was a very discouraging and exhausting period of her life. She turned to the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe to remind her that she was strong enough to pursue and persist what she had begun. It also reminded her that she had to be strong enough for her daughters, and that in the end, all the hard work would be worth it. 

    When looking at the Virgin of Guadalupe, we can see that she has a slightly somber, but peaceful and kind expression. Although she isn’t wearing makeup or a fitted dress, something about her seems distinctly feminine. I think this could represent the idea that a large part of a woman’s femininity comes from the inside and how she portrays herself. In this image, she almost looks tired, but her stance is powerful. The aura she projects reflects this power, and I remember my grandma telling me that this light showed that she was clothed by the sun. 

I was not raised in a very religious household, but I highly respect and can look up to the ideas that the Virgin of Guadalupe represents. She is a figure that helped my grandma achieve the life that she wanted for herself and her kids (including my mom). Therefore, I would not be where I am today without her.