The Magic of Hope

When I first received the news of my brother's passing, I was with one of my Spanish teachers in Syracuse. We had gone to a laundromat and to Baskin Robbins where I ordered bubblegum ice cream. We arrived at the house and shortly after, the phone rang. My teacher screamed while holding herself up agrainst the wall-- my entire family had been in a car accident. At that time, I was told that my father was dying but it would turn out to be my baby brother. My immediate response was to run and hide inside of a closet to cry. I felt afraid and alone. He was my buddy... my playmate. We would play with barbies and hotwheel cars. He would sneak into my bed at night or I would sneak into his. I stayed inside that closet hoping it would all go away.

It is no wonder that my first book is about a magical closet where a child enters sad but returns home with hope. In writing this book, I was cognizant of the heavy theme of loss but also cognizant of the reality of loss so many experience throughout their lives, often beginning at a young age. I wanted to provide a safe space within the story to process that loss while inviting the reader on a magical journey replete with talking flora and fauna, Puerto Rican culture and music; an adventure where one is reminded that it is in the healing of oneself that hope becomes available to others.