Emilia

My mother’s roots start with a German count who dared to cross the ocean and fell in love with one of his slaves, who bore a child. The German acknowledged this child by changing his name and buying out his great love. These descendants married a Jewish family a few generations later, and, voilà, these were my mother’s parents. My father’s mother was a young Indian girl sold to a wealthy Filipino family to be a housemaid.

I am an authentic person. I have gotten to know myself in a way that makes me honest to myself and everyone around me. Without hurting anyone, I learned to speak from my heart and explain what something means to me by using the right words.

The most beautiful part of aging is a softer look at people, trying to meet them without judgment. I like to keep their background and stories in mind. Every situation, all human behavior, and the way a person deals with things are a direct cause of things. This helps me see someone else as a fellow citizen of earth, regardless of their skin color, culture, or background.