Author: Maria Rodriguez Bross

  • Nothing Has Gone Wrong; Grief is Part of Being a Caregiver

    I wish I knew what I’m about to tell you long ago when I first learned that I would be taking care of my child for the rest of my life.  I wish I would’ve known that nothing had gone wrong and accepting my new role as my daughter’s lifelong Caregiver would be the greatest…

  • How I Held On To My Heirloom: “La Segunda”

    Have you ever been to “La Segunda”? The English translation is second-hand or thrift shop. When I was growing up, many people hid the fact that they shopped at one, but my mother felt differently. Besides buying heavily discounted items out of bare necessity, she was excited by the rows of varied clothes, the piles…

  • The Roots of my Love for the Flamboyant

    I didn’t always love trees. The flamboyant changed that. If you’ve never heard of a flamboyant or flamboyán, let me introduce you: it’s a tropical tree also known as the royal poinciana, and is known for its vibrant, flame-red flowers that bloom in large clusters. The coolest thing about this tree is its shape. The…

  • Welcome to the Bodega Botanica! Volume 1, Issue 1: October 2024

    Welcome to the Bodega Botanica! Volume 1, Issue 1: October 2024

    Hola! Do you believe in signs? I do. As I’ve prepared to launch this very first issue, I’ve been telling many of my friends and family that I’ve had a shift in my life. Like the moon cycles, I’m in a new phase. I’ve had more time to pause, reflect, and discover. This process has…

  • A Bodega, a Corner & the American Dream

    Why write about a bodega? The literal translation of bodega from Spanish to English is store, but I will add that it’s generally a mom-and-pop business or as I like to call it the mami-and-papi small business. When I was growing up, you could find a bodega at many corners of the neighborhood.  At the…