My mother emigrated to Los Angeles at the age of 16, bright-eyed and full of courage and determination. She built a home here for me and my siblings. Los Angeles is the city that raised me, my home, and it is home to many that — like my mother — came to the city of Angels to fulfill their hopes and dreams. She moved out of LA (for health reasons) a couple years ago, but whenever I would drive down PCH or get a whiff of night jasmine (her favorite flower) on a summer’s night it would remind me of all the wonderful memories we shared in this beautiful place we called home. When I was younger, my mother would often grab her car keys and prompt us to get in the car: “hurry up, we are going for a drive down PCH.” It was her favorite spontaneous thing to do, many many times we would drive down the coast with windows down and without a destination. We would park on the coastline of whichever beach and climb down the rocks to dip our toes in the salty water, and after we’d spend 10 min trying to get the sand off our feet, we would head towards a little shack that served garlicky baked clams. One of my fondest memories is when we serendipitously discovered El Pescador beach on one of our adventures and found ourselves on a cliff overlooking the ocean. We hiked down a trail towards the beach, it was isolated and picturesque, something out of a movie waiting there just for us. A true paradise, an earthly heaven that until January 7th, I also shared with my husband who is a native Angelino as well. Last week, that heaven hellishly incinerated into ash and debris. I grieve and pay my respects to this beautiful place, to this beautiful city, and to the beautiful memories I hold so close to my heart.
It’s hard to articulate the level of sadness, sorrow, and devastation that roams in the air of Los Angeles today. Everyone knows someone directly who has lost everything in the cities of Altadena, Pasadena, Palisades and more. Complete neighborhoods, precious lives, passed down heirlooms, invaluable things, people’s entire life’s work. Anything and everything you can think of, and you do not have to be born or raised in Los Angeles to mourn them. LA holds a special place in people’s hearts, and it is home even to those who have only stepped foot in it for just a second. Los Angeles is home to a mixture of things and people from all backgrounds. From the wealthy and famous to hardworking immigrants, from historically significant buildings to valleys and canyons. It is the place that makes and breaks your dreams every day and it is beautiful. Los Angeles is magical and this community has truly embodied this magic amidst these fires. I’ve seen light in spite of darkness, and it has been so touching to witness how this community has come together to help one another. My heart goes out to anyone who has lost their home and their neighborhood due to the Palisades and Eaton fires. Together we will rebuild one day at a time.
GFM for families affected by the fires
To help young girls rebuild their wardrobe
To help workers who lost their place of work due to the fires
To support children and families affected by the fires
To support Los Angeles Fire Department
*more resources to support those affected by the LA fires.
With Love,
X,LPR
Beautifully written, Laura! Thank you for giving us a glimpse into your life and love for Los Angeles ♥️