1952

BELINDA GABALDON

When this photo was taken, at a studio in Tucson, Arizona, my mother, Delia Villa Ferra, was just a sixteen-year-old high school student, working part time at a dry cleaner’s to help support the family. She loved to dance and cook, and her favorite flowers were pink and red carnations. She was playful, mischievous, and very social. My aunt once said that walking down the street with her sister was like being in a parade: Delia waved to everyone.

She was also a loving, supportive, and fun mother. One afternoon when I was ten years old, she and I were sitting outside. My mom got the idea to smash grapes with our bare feet, just like they did to make wine in the old days. We were like that I Love Lucy episode come alive. We couldn’t stop laughing.