Sitting up straight, and other things Nana taught me

Nana Rafaela, with a family friend, doing what she loved to do — sing.

I remember once my Nana told me to sit up straight. Actually, she said it tons of times. I could hear her voice now — “enderezate.” She always sat up straight. It meant something to her.

There’s something interesting about growing up poor. You don’t have much, so you focus on what you do have. When you’re poor, it isn’t the material things that matter. Instead, you focus on…