I believe all the mothers in this world are special because they change their whole life for their kids. They are in all the growth process and are in our childhood memories. Today I want to write about my favorite memory of my childhood.

When I was four years old, my family and I went to a farm called El Valle. It’s a perfect place because the view is beautiful, everything is green, and there are big mountains, a lot of birds, and an animal farm. After a good long day, the sky started getting cloudy and rain started pouring down. I was near the window because I wanted to see the view. I remember that clearly because it was my first storm. I will never forget the thunder and the magic moment when I saw hail. Hail started falling down and touched the window. I remember the sound: toc . . . toc! The sound is always going to be in my mind every time I think about that day.

The grass was white, and I was surprised. I wanted to be outside and touch it, play, and take it with me. I took some hail and put in my pocket, but after a few minutes, I noticed it was no longer there, and once again I kept trying to hold on to it.

My mom was at the window. She was watching everything, and she witnessed my happiness, my curiosity, and my sadness. She came to me and asked, “Anita, What are you doing?” I answered, “Mom, I don’t know what happened. I put the hail in my pocket, and it disappeared.” My mom told me, “Please look at your pants. The hail is there.” When I looked at my pants, they were all wet, and at that moment I understood that everything was water.

My mom smiled at me, and gave me a hug and a kiss. She told me, “My little one, you are so amazing. Please, never change your magic heart.”

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Ana Guillen was born in Cuenca, Ecuador. She finished college in Ecuador, graduating with a degree in textile and fashion design. She has been living in New York since April 2019 and is now age 25. She likes to cook, bake, paint, make wigs, and do word searches. She studies in the Family Health Centers at NYU Langone, where John Kefalas is the site adviser, and Rebecca Gallagher is the site director. Ana Guillen’s goal is to follow a path related to her degree, also involving technology or textile production.