Remember the time before the hurting, for that's where the healing lives. Find the joy of the before and know you can find it again. You have a big h… - Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa

I really believe there are no coincidences. I have learned to trust intuition and watch for the paths that open in my journey.

This new woman is a mystery. To be black and a slave is to live wounded. To be black and a slave and be born in this place is to know nothing but darkness. To be a bozal, black, and a slave, who remembers the time before, is to carry a double wound, living in the darkness while constantly remembering the light. This warrior woman is wounded, lost, and still struggling against the dark. The light, not yet gone, flickers in her eyes. Interesting... (p28)

Coming from a traditional Puerto Rican family, I wasn't allowed to express my displeasure at or disagreement with my parents' point of view in any meaningful way. Since I couldn't 'talk back', I started writing.