Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses physical abuse, child abuse, anti-LGBTQ+ bias, drug use, and racism.

“Abuela is the only parent I’ve ever known who showed me truly unconditional love, kindness, and support. And now she is forgetting me.”

This early quote establishes the strength of Abuela and Ogle’s bond and the deep emotional pain Ogle experiences in the face of Abuela’s dementia. In a childhood where Ogle often felt unseen or misunderstood by his biological parents and stepdad, Abuela was the one person in his life who understood him and loved him unconditionally. He elevates Abuela to the status of parent in this quote, a way of honoring the role that she had in his life and upbringing through The Transformative Power of Unconditional Love.

“She may forget. And one day, I may forget too. But for now, the memories are captured, like insects in amber, ready to survive for millions of years. My memories of a wonderful woman are written in words and verses and fragments in this book, unable to be unwritten. And if it is forgotten, it can always be read again.”

Ogle shares his purpose in writing his memoir: To record Abuela’s love and support for him that, once written, can never be erased. He compares the text to an “insect in amber”—something that will stand the test of time, even after they are gone. The final lines acknowledge Abuela’s fading memory but celebrate the fact that even if forgotten, he can always share the poems with her again, reigniting the memories of the love she gave him. This passage speaks to The Healing Potential of Storytelling and Poetry.