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La Rosa - The Rose

I tossed around a few possibilities for the writing of La Rosa. It could be the name of a relative I've never met, but heard stories of from my Grandma, like El Musico. Or similar to La Palma, it could be the point-of-view of an actual flower as it quietly witnesses events from its roots in the garden. Neither idea felt inspired, but then two unrelated events occurred within a week of each other and La Rosa began to take on a new meaning for me.

My husband and I took our two boys for an outing last week.  We drove for about 12 minutes to the Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historic Park in Richmond - a beautiful location at the northern tip of the Richmond Harbor. We had heard about this place, so close to our house, a few years ago but had never made the time to visit - a shame, in my opinion, because I adore the female empowering We Can Do It image of the strong woman in a mechanics suit with red & white scarf in her hair. Twice, I've dressed as Rosie for Halloween, recruiting the young ladies in my office to do the same after they asked, "Who is Rosie the Riveter," and I tell them.  She was a WWII symbol of strength and capability used to ignite the female population to join the workforce while the men were away fighting the war.  And she was very convincing. Due to a wartime need, but still up against the general opinion that women belong in the kitchen, nearly 1 out of every 4 married women worked outside the home by 1945. The Richmond Harbor specifically saw a massive increase in population during this time, many of whom were Black, Latin, and Asian women who came to work and get it done regardless of who was next to them. Needless to say, it was an enlightening couple of hours in Richmond, made up of images and stories that exemplified courage, tolerance, diversity, camaraderie, and patriotism.

Later on that week, January 21st to be exact, over a million people (the majority of those people women) took to the streets to march for women's rights, respect, and equality in all areas regardless of religious, political, or even socioeconomic status. I wasn't in it, but I wish I had been, The news reports and social media posts stirred emotions in me that very much echo the same principles of a Rosie: courage, tolerance, diversity, camaraderie, and patriotism. What does La Rosa mean to me? Well, come to think of it, it means what it has always meant....a diverse array of beautiful flowers that bud from stems inherently yet strategically armed with defensive thorns .


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