Nelson Luis Acosta
Prof. Zuromski
ENC1101
12 February 2015
Dear Judith Ortiz Cofer, Coincidentally you and I have a lot in common. In your essay "A Partial Remembrance of a Puerto Rican Childhood" most of what you wrote about as far as how your mama indirectly yet quite efficiently tried to instill moral values and life lessons was just how I was raised. Reading this adolescent recollection of yours got the gears turning in my head and sparked a similar memory I had as a child as well as all the similarities you and I have in our character.
My own grandma, who everyone called Mamita, was single handedly one of the greatest, most influential women I've had in my life and I'm sure by the way you wrote about your Mama that you admire her and could easily say the same. Mamita literally took care of everyone single handedly too. Her husband passed away when my mother was only 2 years old, so she played the role of a mother and a father. With a responsibility like that you can bet that whenever she spoke her audience was giving her their full attention. Our abuelas would have gotten along like little kids on a playground. Not only do they have similar attributes, they both took great pleasure in their café con leche time and both happen to be Puerto Rican!
Although Mamita was firm, the words she spoke were never harsh or belittling and it seemed to me that your grandma was the same, an inference I immediately made about your Mama was that she was very caring yet stern and wanted the best for everyone she spoke to. My grandma always taught me right from wrong and how to carry myself as an individual just as your Mama did for you. I know my grandma had the same intentions as Mamá did when she spoke and told stories that actually had a deeper meaning behind the superficial details that in my case were as well, ever changing.
Reading this especially reminded me of