When I was 14, I never thought I would have a big 15’s celebration. I started watching “My dream Quinceañera” on YouTube, and I thought of my family. My inspiration to do my quince was my family’s past experiences. I realized this would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Then, I talked to mom about it, and she thought it would be a great idea, and that’s when my dream began. 

Hispanic Tradition 

    The tradition itself is important because it symbolizes a transition into maturity. My family tradition of this celebration signifies the path to womanhood where I will play a more active role in my own life and the lives of my family. One common thing we do in quinces is that we usually have a waltz with a male ,but I decided to switch it up and dance with my mother since she’s always been there for me. 

The Stressful Part of Planning 

   Since we left the banquet hall, the dress, and the invitations for the last moment, it was difficult. This wasn’t a great idea because it brought stress. After 2 weeks I started to get on track. I finally started to invite people. The hall was hard to find, especially because of high prices, but after my mom’s friend gave her a place, she made the deal with them. It couldn’t be on my birthday exactly because it was occupied, but we got it one day before. 

The Perfect Dress 

    My name “Lila Ruby” means purple and red, and these colors have always been my favorite, so I decided to go with those colors for my dress. At first, we went to this old antique store, and the lady had a few dresses. However, she didn’t have purple or red, but I decided to try other colors on. There was this pink antique dress that wasn’t really my style, and the price was way too high for what it was. The lady was a bit pushy to buy the dress, and she said, “It won’t be the same price when you come back.” 

    Then, we went to another shop with 7 quince dresses, each a different color. There was this pink one with beautiful faux flowers which I liked, and my mom liked it because she had one like that when she was little. However, the color didn’t fit me the way I planned. I asked if I could try it in purple, and my mom was fine with it. When I tried it on, I didn’t like it.  

   At this point, we wanted to give up since it was 1 week before the quince was scheduled. However, we decided to give it another shot. The last store had a good number of dresses. I personally liked this store because it gave me options.  At first, I looked around downstairs, but I didn’t really like it. And then I went upstairs, and I fell in love with the dresses. But one caught my attention. This beautiful purple glittery dress. I tried it on, and it felt unreal.  I felt like a princess, and then I knew that this was “the perfect dress.” 

Family and Friends 

    I invited a small group of people for the quince. My friends were there and a few of my family like my tios and tia and some of my cousins, as well as my great grandparents.  It meant a lot to me that all these people came, and it was a great experience. 

The Party! 

   The party was a dream come true. It started with some obstacles in the beginning. But for the most part it was a success. At first, I had to get ready with my makeup and hair. So, we went to a beauty salon called “Inna” where they straightened my hair. After that, my mom got me flowers. I didn’t decide to get a makeup artist and decided to do it myself. Then, we went to the party, and I changed into my dress, Then I had to hide under a curtain until all the people got there. After all this, we had the ceremony.  The dinner and the partying began. It was a great experience. It lasted 4 hours. In the end, I was drained from my high

 heels, but it was worth it.  I felt truly like a young woman.  

Appreciation and Dedication 

  I’ve learned through my 15 years from my mom that being dedicated to anything I put my mind into can come true. I don’t think this dream would have been possible if I didn’t put my mind to it. It felt surreal thanks to my mom. My mom means everything to me. After all our ups and downs, I owe it all to her. I was never sure if this would be a reality. Thank you, Mom.