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Ana E. Lara

@ananapz

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I feel privileged to know two languages.

I have a hard time reading and writing in Spanish.

I misspell words in English all the time.

I have a faint accent that naturally I tried to hide since I was younger.

I think I was embarrassed to feel less than.

As I grew up I found beauty in both languages.

I express myself in English and my thoughts are in English.

But my prayers are in Spanish.
My love is often expressed in Spanish.

I can never let go of this part of me.

No matter how many times I mix up my words or mesh them together.

Spanish was first.

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En español:

ESL (inglés como segundo idioma)

Hay una vocecita que vive en mi cabeza.
Habla en dos lenguas pero no domina ninguna.
A veces se pierde en el ruido del mundo.
Como toda jovencita, quiere ser escuchada.
A veces es tan ruidosa que no puedo ignorarla.
Su acento está ahí, me hace confundir mis palabras.
Un suave recordatorio de que el español fue lo primero.
...........................................................................
ID:
[Faint black and white background with two butterflies sitting on leaves. Poem in Black lettering reads:
ESL (English as a second language)
There's a tiny voice that lives in my head.
She speaks in two tongues but is a master of none.
Sometimes she gets lost in the noise of the world.
Like every young girl she wants to be heard.
At times she's so loud that I cannot ignore.
Her accent is there, makes me fumble my words.
A gentle reminder that Spanish came first. Signed Ana E. Lara]
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Hashtags
#poesia #poeta #spanish #esl #latinawriter #boldlatina #weallgrowlatina #poemaenespañol #writer #writingislife #sisepuede💪 #latinaquotes #latinosbelike #growinguplatino #speakspanish #spanishlearning #learnspanish #bilingual #weallgrow #latinxparenting
#mujereslatinas #espiritu #englishasasecondlanguage
#poetryisart #poesía #learningspanish
#poetscafe #spanishlessons #eslstudents taken in Arizona by @ananapz

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52

6 years ago

Here are two of my poems that were published in @hechoen_co magazine.

Some might disagree with my thoughts and words.

I respect that. My words might not change your mind. That's ok.

I wrote this for me.
For people I love.
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#poetscommunity #poets #dreamers
#poetryisart #poetsofinstagram #poemas #preexistingconditions #latina #familia
#boldlatina #latinapoetry #latinos
#poetrylife #poeta #dreamact #poesia
#lifeispoetry #poemsdaily #magazine #poetsofig #womanempowerment #sisepuede #vuelaalto #bebold #azlatina #latinaandproud #secretivescribblings #latinawriter #writingismyfreedom #writingcommunity taken in Arizona by @ananapz

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6 years ago

Just something I've never said out loud.
Inspired after reading "Broken English" by @rupikaur_

My mother's voice in my head is a constant reminder of every sacrifice my parents have made for me to be here.
A reminder of all the love, a reminder of home.

La voz de mi madre en mi mente es un recordatorio constante de cada sacrificio que mis padres han hecho para que yo esté aquí.
Un recordatorio de todo el amor, un recordatorio de casa.

Gracias mami y papi

ID: IG comment that says,
My mother's accent is a reminder of where I come from and what my parents accomplished. (Heart emoji)
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#poema #bilingual #poesia #quotelove #brokenenglish #poetasdeinstagram #latinawriter #boldlatina #latinaquotes #latinosbelike #growinguplatino #speakspanish #spanishlearning #learnspanish #bilingual #weallgrow #latinxparenting #weallgrowlatina #poemaenespañol #sisepuede💪 #mujereslatinas #espiritu #englishasasecondlanguage #latinxpoetry #poesía #poetryvibes #learningspanish #spanishlessons taken in Arizona by @ananapz

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41

5 years ago

Happy World Narcolepsy Day to my sleep community! It has been a wild ride, with approximately 100,000 naps along the way.

I know at times Narcolepsy can dim our light and strip our lives of color. However, with the right support and community, it can illuminate our journey and bring back the sunshine, restoring the vibrant pigments we thought were once gone.

Today I am grateful for all the wonderful humans I've met along the way. You are all amazing!

#narcolepsyawareness #worldnarcolepsyday by @ananapz

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a year ago

Advocating for a cause I am deeply passionate about has truly been a dream come true. Speaking with Senator Kelly's office about my journey living with narcolepsy filled me with pride, despite my nerves. Having my fellow advocates by my side made the experience even more special. Just a year ago, I doubted my ability to fly again after brain surgery and the complications that followed. Now, here I am traveling to Washington D.C. to advocate for sleeping disorders and sleep health.

It is essential to elevate public awareness about the vital role that sleep plays in our lives. We need to educate people about the symptoms of sleeping disorders and long delays in diagnosis which are unacceptable. I am immensely grateful to Project Sleep and the dedicated advocates who made this opportunity possible. A heartfelt thank you to Jesse, my travel buddy, for ensuring that I was well taken care of and able to get the needed naps I required to keep going.

I feel very inspired and hopeful for the future of sleep. 💙

#sleep #narcolepsyawareness #sleepapnea #sleepawareness #sleepingdisorder #advocate #makingchanges #latinastrong #sleephelp #sleephealth taken in Washington D. C. by @ananapz

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2 years ago

Sometimes you meet the most extraordinary people. They touch your heart and heal your soul. Their prayers give you life again. Ana Castaway, you will forever be a reminder that even though things seem too hard to endure the Lord will always be my peace. You told me not to be upset that I was getting better as things got more difficult for you. You told me to rejoice in my miracle and our friendship. I'm not okay that you are no longer here to pray and laugh with me but I am glad that you are no longer in a body that feels pain. I know that you trusted God until your last breath. Thank you for your friendship and love. Rest in heaven’s glory. 🙏🏽 by @ananapz

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3 years ago

This “healing”part of my journey is very long and hard. It took such an emotional toll on my family and I.
God was with me the whole time and thanks to all the prayers from family and friends I made it through.

I want to mention that this was years of symptoms and no answers. Doctors said that (the arachnoid cyst) wasn’t the problem.

I don’t blame them I just wish someone would have listened to me sooner.
It kept growing and every time it did I developed a new symptom.

I had dizziness
vertigo
nausea
vomiting
migraines
fainting
weakness
fatigue
double vision
head pressure
ear ringing
ear pain
sudden hearing loss
light sensitivity
And nerve pain

My neurosurgeon said that if I didn’t have it removed it would continue to grow and cause more symptoms and disability.

He was able to successfully remove it all and I am now about 90% better.

I found a lot of comfort from others posting about their experience with brain surgery and arachnoid cysts so I thought I
should share my story too. I am also a person with narcolepsy which also took years to diagnose.

I think what I've learned from this experience is not to give up and continue to advocate for yourself when you feel to your core that something is wrong. It's not easy to make people listen but eventually, someone will and it just might change your life.

I promised a friend I would share my miracle. Perhaps I can be a blessing to someone else who is struggling. 🙏🏽💕

#brain #brainsurgery #brainsurgeryrecovery #craniotomyrecovery #arachnoidcyst #chronicillness #butyoudontlooksick #brainhealth #mri #brainscan #chronicpain #miricle #narcolepsywarrior #survivor #migraine #vestibular #vertigo #dizziness #brainpain #medicaltrauma #godisgood by @ananapz

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4 years ago

I’ve been featured on @project_sleep podcast! Listen now to Episode 3 - Becoming a Narcolepsy Advocate where Julie Flygare (@remrunner), Matt Horsnell (@mhorsnell), and I discuss the power of YOUR story and break down #narcolepsy #advocacy into three categories: self-advocacy, raising your voice publicly, and legislative advocacy.

Link in Project Sleep's bio to listen to Episode 3 - Becoming a Narcolepsy Advocate.

#ProjectSleep #SleepHealth #SleepEducation #SleepAwareness #SleepDisorder #Narcolepsy #SleepPodcast #NewPodcastAlert #HealthPodcast #JulieFlygare #sleep #naps #narcolepsynotalone #advocate #narcolepsia #chronicillness #selfcare by @ananapz

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4 years ago

Recovering ❤️‍🩹

It has been a long health battle.

It’s been really hard and I haven’t felt positive every day.

The pain is immense and sometimes it’s the only indicator of still being alive.

These past few days, I feel like I’ve turned a big corner. I have a little more energy and can walk around more. The pain isn’t screaming in my ear as loudly.

Everyone keeps reminding me to take it slow, that I just had brain surgery. I just honestly didn’t think it was going to be so devastating to my body.

It’s a long story for another day…

I’m however so grateful to be alive and have so many people who care and love me.

I honestly don’t know what I do without my family.

Thank you for all your prayers and well wishes. Your kindness is such a blessing.

I’ll be here recovering getting better every day getting stronger.

Probably writing more poetry. 😉
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#brainsurgery #arachnoidcyst #spoonie #vestibulardisorder #vertigosucks #vertigo
#binocularvisiondysfunction #craniotomyrecovery #chronicpain #recovery #poet #narcolepsy #healing
#brainsurgerysurvivor
#chronicillnesssupport #writerswrite #migraine #vestibularmigraine #tinnitus #brainhealth #brainfog by @ananapz

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4 years ago

(Short life update) I wrote this thought/poem down last year when I was in a pit of pain. My mom has always told me that God is with me, and making it to this point in my life I know that he is. Thank you, mom and dad, for being there for me in ways you don’t even know. It’s been a very long road of pain and uncertainty health-wise. My husband pushed me to search for answers and didn’t let me give up.
I’ve had great days, emotional days, and bad days. I’m grateful for every single one. Late last year I found out I needed brain surgery. To say that I was scared is an understatement. However, my continued trust in God remains strong. Thanks to my family I’ve been able to keep busy and not have too much time to dwell on it. I ask that you all keep me in your thoughts and prayers. Send me all of your positive vibes. Thank you all for checking in on me and for your continued support. I will keep you posted on my progress when I can as my surgery is next week. Image reads: The look in my mother's eyes,
while she prayed for my healing,
broke me.
It made me want to be healthy more
than anything.
Not only to stop the discomfort
in my body but to stop
the suffering in her heart.
She just kept repeating,
Dios esta contigo Mija.
(God is with you)
I replayed it in my head
until I believed it too.
-Ana Elena Lara #arachnoidcyst #brainsurgery #narcolepsy #chronicillness #vertigo #vestibularmigraine #dizziness #chronicpain #vestibulardisorder #brainfog #craniotomy #latinahealth #diosestaconmigo #godiswithme #poetry #poesia #prayers #poems #poet #arachnoidcystawareness #spoonie Black-and-white image of a woman with flowers around the top and bottom of image.
Short poem on white square with black letters. by @ananapz

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5 years ago

Translation:

BAREFOOT

Some days, I feel like I'm still that little girl with the broken SANDLE waiting for school to be over.
Dragging my feet so that no one sees the loose strap.
Sitting instead of playing because I can't have it rip any further.
Tripping as I struggle to walk but concealing the reason why.
Not wanting people to pity me or feel that I am unstable or inadequate.
Proving that I can do it all despite its brokenness.
Attempting to figure out a way to mend it just enough to get me through the day.
In the end, all I want is to be home AND BAREFOOT that's when I'll feel truly free.

#latinaquotes #latinosbelike #growinguplatino #speakspanish #spanishlearning #espiritu #bilingual #weallgrow #latinxartist #chanclas #chancla #untwineme #latinawriter #poeta #poertycommunity
#poetcity #writerscommunity #writerscity #latinawomen #strongwomen #poetrygram #hernightingalewriting #storytelling #hispanicartist #poemoftheday #poetrylover #poetasdeinstagram #descalza #elpoeta taken in Arizona by @ananapz

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5 years ago

It's been a while since I've shared a poem.

It's been a rough road but looking at this piece today reminded me how awful things were and how blessed I am that I was able to hold on to that hope.

I wish I could say that it's over and I'm 100% but it's not that simple.

I wrote this after having vertigo episodes accompanied by excruciating ear and head pain.

I wasn't sure it would ever end and I'm always looking out for signs in case it creeps back in.

For months all I could do was disassociate myself from my body to keep myself sane.

It was like my pre-narcolepsy diagnosis all over again. Only this time I wasn't the little girl I had to protect.

I needed to get back to myself for my little girl. I couldn't drive and all I wanted was to take her to preschool like I planned the entire year before.

I honestly don't know what I'd do if it wasn't for my family and friends.
I downplayed a lot of it because I was fearful things wouldn't get better.

I don't want to take things for granted because life passes by and we forget to be appreciative of what we have.

I get to drive her to school now.
Although I'm still going through treatments and pending results all that remains is hope.
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#chronicpain
#chronicillnesswarrior
#migraine
#chronicallyill
#chronicallyillmom
#wherethetiredgirlsare
#vestibulardisorder
#binocularvisiondysfunction
#vestibularmigraine
#narcolepsy
#chronicillness
#spoonie
#poetryheals
#poems
#poetryflow
#poetrytherapy
#writingflow
#gratitude
#healingwords
#poeta
#poetry
#painquotes
#invisibleillness
#invisibledisability
#invisibleillnessawarness
#vertigo taken in Arizona by @ananapz

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5 years ago