I come from a lineage where spirituality was always present, even when it wasn’t spoken about. It lived in the remedios my grandmother mixed in the kitchen, in the rhythmic prayers whispered over a cup of cafecito, and in the stories carried through generations like heirlooms. My connection to my Puerto Ricaness has only deepened over time, especially as I’ve learned to heal ancestral wounds, some which I remember, some I’ve inherited, and some that whisper to me from the other side. Even as I’ve lived in places where my culture isn’t as present — New Orleans and now South Africa — I have carried it with me. I feel my ancestors with me, guiding me, speaking through me. They show me the patterns, the struggles, the love, and the resilience embedded in our bloodline. And through my spiritual practice I not only honor them, but I also transform what needs healing, for myself and for those who will come after me.
