Home is Where the Family Is: The Story of a Mother
When Carmen first visited the town of Jackson, it reminded her of her hometown of Coyhaique (koiˈaike), in the Chilean Patagonia... The dry climate, the snow, the rivers and mountains, the warmth of its people. When her daughter Daniela invited her to come and live in Jackson year round, it wasn’t a difficult decision. But Carmen wasn’t moving for the familiar settings, she was overjoyed to be reunited with her family again.
In no time at all, Carmen found her place in Jackson. She put her skills as a tailor to work, running a successful business called Alterations. To this day, she works everyday of the week, so that she can devote her entire weekend to being a mother and a grandmother - her true passion in life.
All my free time is for my family, I´m theirs every weekend. There is no Carmen Gloria, only ‘Yoya’. Being a grandma is incredible, it’s like being a mother, only twice as rewarding!
Motherhood started early for Carmen. She had her first child at sixteen. “It was me and her against the world… but together we did it.” And while it certainly wasn’t easy to raise a child as a teenager, Carmen never looked back. These days, she is the proud matriarch in a family of 5 (soon to be 6) beautiful grandchildren.
When one of Carmen’s daughters became a teen mother herself, Carmen stepped in and offered to raise the child, Matías, as her own. This way, she could ensure that her daughter had the opportunity to stay in school and earn a degree.
To this day, Carmen and Matías live under the same roof, more than five thousand miles from where they were born. Matías calls Jackson his home and Carmen his mom. For the most part, their transition has been a smooth and positive one, in large amount due to their involvement in groups like Cuenta Conmigo, a youth program of the Latino Resource Center that helps Spanish speaking kids and teenagers balance their American and Latino identities.
I love that “Mati” is a part of Cuenta Conmigo. He can meet other kids like him, hang out with them. He found a support group to which he´s been committed to for the past two years. He’s my son, my grandson, my everything. In Jackson, he will grow up with something that I taught my other children early on: humanity and the importance of family.
For Mother´s Day, Carmen´s wish is a simple one.
Since all of my kids left the nest and went on to live their own lives I’ve only wanted one thing for Mother´s Day: to have them all together with me. That would be the ultimate Mother´s Day present.
