This is a picture of my family's grape vineyard. There are many grape vines lined up here, in rows, because it is now grape season. This year I helped to harvest the first bunch of grapes.

This is a picture of Los Ranchos de Las Rosas. I have lived here my whole life, wandering the grape vineyard.

This is a picture of me near my family's grape vineyard.

My Pictures

This is a blanket that my grandma, Abuelita, crocheted for me. She taught me how to crochet using the mountain-valley technique.

My Life

I am Esperanza. I am a 14-year-old girl from Mexico and I live on Las Ranchos De Las Rosas. Things have been tough for me lately since my dad just died. I remember all the good times that we used to have together.

One time, when I was just 5 years old papa took me out into the fields and told me to lie down and as I did I felt the cold, smooth grass brush up against my sun dress. He then told me to listen carefully and quiet down. I listened to papa's orders and shortly after I began to here a soft thumping noise. Do you here that?, papa asked. That is the earth's heart beat. I then sank down even lower into the soft, green grass. At first the thumping was soft and faint but now it was loud and clear. Now, it sounded confident. Could this really be? Could the earth really have a heart beat? Well, since papa belived in it I decided to go along with him and belive in it also. Until this day I still belive that he earth, like all of this, has a heart beat.

Age: 14 Residence: Mexico/ Ranchos De Las Rosas

Family: Mama, Papa, and Abuelita