::Wordless Wednesday:: Kinda... #RodeoHouston Edition

As some of you may know, one of my biggest passions has always been volunteer work. Giving back to my community and being involved as a Houston Latina Professional, Momma and now Blogger is very important to me. It adds value to my purpose and creates a sense of pride that no one can take from me.  

This year it rained and it poured but nothing stopped me from going to my Rodeo Houston Committeeman meetings and reaching my goals to help raise money for scholarships! With the help of so many amazing clients and constant supporters, I buckled! What does this mean? I raised a little over 12K in scholarship money for my committee and for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. 

Hard work, dedication, commitment and perseverance pays off.  I firmly believe in this. ~Momma of Dos 

                             {Rodeo Art as exhibited in the Houston Intercontinental Airport}

{Houston Area Women's Center} #stoptheviolence

Many may not know this about me but I have witnessed violence in the home first hand. {I don't plan on giving out details, when it happened I told many people in hopes that it would ease the pain, I went to church, I spoke to my Boyfriend-He is now my Husband, I wrote about it, I cried about it, I thought about dying at my own hands over it. It was not the best time in my life but I also don't want to harm those whom I love with details or remembering what was. I lived through it. I survived and so did she.}

I was going to post about this regardless but with what happened on Friday I decided to make it a mini-series on my Blog. #stoptheviolence

Domestic Violence of any form is a difficult and tramautizing experience. Trust me. I have been there. In the dark with the thought of, what if I just stop breathing, it will stop the pain. After years of it and fed up, I was grown and after feeling powerless at one point in my life, I had suddenly gained strenght, wisdom, age and courage. Courgae that was built after years of horrifiying stories, first hand accounts, and one call to the HAWC. I stood in a room, with the adrelanie rush and telling my story of intervention, prevention and attempting to save a life. I then found myself in a waiting room on Montrose. Could this be real? ME. I was living this. With a loved one. So much pain. So many terrify events. The emotional. The physical. The abuse on so many levels. The pain on a level I never knew I could reach.

After days, weeks and months of healing...now years... the pain, empowerment. The memories, my strength and my courage. I will never, NEVER allow this to happen to a loved one EVER. Again.

Which is why I am here now. Telling you that if you are suffering ANY kind of abuse you too can overcome, survive and heal.

3 weeks ago I was invited to attend the taping of Great Day Houston. I sat in the audience and a first hand account of what live TV is like. It was exciting and an awesome opportunity. But, I wasn't sure if anyone else was there for the same reason that I was. I had survived violence in the home. I was there to assist in representing the Houston Area Women's Center, we wore red. The color of pain and hope when you live through and survive what I have see, heard and lived. I felt honored. Humbled. And, an amazingly overwhelming feeling to have been able to put YEARS of violence behind me. Years of silence in the open. It's a freeing sitiuation.










I am here today to ask you to donate and help in any way possible for an extremenly good cause. One that saved my life and that of my loved ones. One that has restored my faith in life, love and marriage.

I thank the Houston Area Women's Center for one day holding our hand and giving us hope.

I thank Frida for the opportunity and allowing me to be a part of something so great and simple as to sit and represent a cause and for a place that one day harvested safety and new hope for those of us who have lost it.

Go to the following links to help the HAWC::HERE:: and ::HERE::
Go to the following link to learn more about Frida ::HERE::

If you need help getting out of a violent situation and are scared to move forward know that the person hurting you will never hurt you if you stop giving them the power to do so. ::CLICK HERE FOR HELP::

Prayers for those in pain.

Momma Disclosure: This is not a compensated OR sponsored post. This is however a subject that is very near and dear to my heart which is why I chose to share it.  The above statements are both true and actual experiences.

{Mexican & Politics} #latism

Source: Google

I have never been one to play the race card or speak of politics... won't do either now.

I don't feel like I allow either to determine who I am or where I will go.

But, I will say this. I am Mexican. My parents came here 31 years ago. Yes, Illegally. Because of the 1986, Amnesty Act they remained in the U.S. working everyday of their lives as hard as they possibly could. One day after the other, like every other non-Mexican and Mexican in the U.S. alike. If I identify with Mexicans and Mexico it's because I have extremely close ties to it.

This day. My parents still work very hard and earn middle-class wages to one day build on that little dream they had when they arrived to the U.S., 31 yeas ago. I am sure it's not easy to accept but for a small portion of our lives we were on temporary "government" assistance. It was embarrassing but not a way of life. It was just that....temporary assistance. These days 3 of their 4 children {the 4th a Senior in H.S. taking Debate and winning them all.} are College graduates; GO COOGS! We stand our ground and have the same and maybe a bit better middle-class working jobs but a little better off. Home owners and paying taxes like everyone else.

In the future I pray that I can teach my children that the ONLY way to go is to educate yourself. To earn a college degree so that your intelligence is not determined by race or politics but by your work ethic, morals and family values. Because we were instilled hard working traditional family values and have obtained most of what we want in this life and in this country we want that and more of the American Dream.

I will remind my children that their grandparents, both maternal and paternal came to this country struggling immigrants granted an opportunity to make a living based on how hard they worked and not what color they are or who they vote for.

Be involved. Become educated. And, Vote! Not for a race or a party but because of your history and where you want your people to go. I can't stress enough that enough as well as become informed with local government and process.

Early Voting Begins today and I plan on voting sometime this week! I will be sure to keep you informed!

{I wasn't sure if I should post this but this{click here} Bloggy-Momma encouraged me to!}

Oh yes! 4 DAYS UNTIL THE LATISM CONFERENCE!!!! I can't wait!!!