LYNDA VENEZUELA

DURING MY CONVERSATION WITH LYNDA, WE DISCUSSED HER SON'S GRIPE AND HER RELUCTANCE TO TAKE HIM TO THE HOSPITAL, AS SHE BELIEVED THEY WOULD SIMPLY ADVISE REST THIS CONVERSATION LED ME TO REALIZE THAT LYNDA REPRESENTS THE MULTIFACETED ROLE OF A MOTHER IN A CONTEXT LIKE MONTANA, WHERE THERE ARE LIMITED SPACES AVAILABLE FOR LATINOS TO EXPRESS THEIR HEALTH CONCERNS. IN ADDITION TO HER ROLE AS A CAREGIVER, LYNDA ALSO PLAYS THE ROLES OF A DOCTOR, ADVOCATE, ENTREPRENEUR, AND DREAMER, SHOWCASING THE CHALLENGES FACED BY LATINO INDIVIDUALS IN NAVIGATING AND FULFILLING VARIOUS ROLES WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITY

AS I ENGAGED IN CONVERSATIONS WITH LYNDA ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF LATINIDAD, I FOUND MYSELF INSPIRED BY HER ABILITY TO MOVE BEYOND THE CULTURAL LOSSES THAT OFTEN ACCOMPANY IMMIGRATION TO A NEW COUNTRY. INSTEAD, SHE HAS TAKEN IT UPON HERSELF TO ADDRESS A GAP WITHIN THE LATINX COMMUNITY IN MONTANA. WITH THIS IN MIND, I POSED THE QUESTION TO LYNDA, "QUE VASILLO CREES QUE SE NECESITE LLENAR PARA VIVIR EN LATINIDAD EN MONTANA?" (WHAT EMPTINESS DO YOU THINK NEEDS TO BE FILLED TO LIVE IN LATINIDAD IN MONTANA?) HER RESPONSE WAS ELOQUENT AND INSIGHTFUL.

“UPON ARRIVING IN MONTANA, STARTING A BUSINESS WAS NEVER ON MY MIND HOWEVER, THE BIRTH OF MY DAUGHTER DURING THE PANDEMIC LED ME TO A REALIZATION: I NEEDED TO FIND A WAY TO PROVIDE FOR MY FAMILY WHILE TAKING CARE OF HER. WITH A NATURAL TALENT FOR CRAFTING PERSONALIZED BREAKFASTS, I DECIDED TO START SELLING FOOD. YET, MY TRUE AIM WAS TO OFFER THE COMMUNITY SOMETHING UNIQUE THAT WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE. I THOUGHT ‘GLOBOS! LOS LATINOS AMAMOS LOS GLOBOS!’ ALTHOUGH APPREHENSIVE DUE TO MONTANA'S RURAL ENVIRONMENT, I BEGAN BY PROVIDING MY SERVICES FOR FREE. ENCOURAGEMENT FROM THOSE I SERVED GAVE ME THE COURAGE TO LAUNCH M ONLY INCLUDES FOOD BUT ALSO HONES, D OTHER THE LAT RE CLOS