That time of the year is coming when hundreds of Latina girls become women. Yes I am talking about the traditional Quinceanera. Traditionally a quince is a coming of age celebration when a girl turns fifteen and is considered a young women rather than a child. Quinceaneras are not just celebrated in the United States but they are celebrated throughout Central and Southern America. For me growing up my parents strongly believed that I shouldn't do certain things until I was fifteen they wanted to protect me from things that I simply wasn't ready for. My father never allowed me to wear short shorts, skirts, or dresses. He would constantly use the excuse that I wasn't fifteen yet. And it taught me that I didn't need short clothing to make me look cooler or be considered “hot”. It allowed me to become comfortable in my own clothing. My parents also strongly believed in the “no boyfriend until you're fifteen” rule. This rule was the pain of me I mean come on I was a freshmen in high school. All I could think of was boys. But just like everything else it taught me that I had to love myself before even thinking about loving anyone else. It taught me to become and independent women and that I didn't need someone to call my boyfriend. So when the time came that I was turning fifteen I wasn't just excited for my party but I was looking forward to everything else that came with the celebration. I remember making the very grown up decision of informing my parents that I didn't need a big party if we didn't have the money for it. That is when I realized that my child self was gone. And I did indeed end up having a Quinceanera and it was amazing but better than ever I got to enjoy this moment with so many loved ones. Over the years I’ve learned to appreciate the small things in life. And I’ve learned to understand that my parents did everything for a reason.