Me caí, me paré, caminé, me subí
Me fuí contra la corriente y también me perdí
Fracasé, me encontré, lo viví y aprendí
My daughter first introduced this song to me a few years ago after
a teacher shared it with her high school Spanish class.
The catchy beat stuck, but the words stuck even more!
Cuando te pegas fuerte más profundo es el beat, sí
Sigo bailando y escribiendo mis letra’
Sigo cantando con la’ puerta’ abierta’
Atravesando por todas estas tierras
Y no hay que viajar tanto pa’ encontrar la respuesta
Y no te preocupes si no te aprueban
Cuando te critiquen tú solo di:
¡Soy yo!
~Bomba Estéreo
The translation:
I fell, I stopped, I walked, I got up
I went against the current and I also got lost
I failed, I found myself, I lived it and I learned from it
The harder you hit yourself the deeper is the beat, yes
I keep dancing and writing my lyrics
I keep singing with the doors open
Crossing all these lands
And you don’t have to travel so much to find the answer
And don’t worry if they don’t approve of you
When they criticize you, just say:
It’s me
I don’t know why I like this song so much.
Maybe it’s the confidence of the girl portrayed in the video
that I wish I emulated at her age. Maybe it’s that when I look
at the lyrics through my mommy lens, something about
the words incapsulate the messiness and complexities of my motherhood journey.
The words authentically and vulnerably make my heart say, Yes!
Me caí, me paré, caminé, me subí
I’ve stumbled along the way. Some days feeling defeated and not at all like I was being the best mom. Sometimes the pressure and expectations that came with mothering knocked me flat on my face, but I always got up. Amiga, remember you get do-overs. Remember after each gloomy day, there will be sunnier days. When you fall, be kind to yourself. Be patient. Take what you need, and then stand back up.
Fracasé, me encontré, lo viví y aprendí
There is a long list of mommy fails and missteps I’ve had along the way, but I can’t dwell on it. I have learned and kept moving. Motherhood will challenge you to be introspective and honest with yourself. It’s not easy work, but good work. Amiga, you will get some things wrong, we all do. The question is, Will you learn from it? I have learned valuable lessons on my limitations, my humanity, how to ask for help, saying no, letting go, and so many more things.
Y no te preocupes si no te aprueban
Cuando te critiquen tú solo di:
¡Soy yo!
And this part! Your motherhood journey is your story, one-of-a-kind, unique to you! Amiga, don’t worry about what other moms are doing or saying. Discern and sift through it all, so that you do what is best for you and your family. Don’t seek the approval of others.
There is freedom to say…
I want to breastfeed; I don’t want to breastfeed.
I want to homeschool; I don’t want to homeschool.
My kids will go to public school; my kids will go to private school.
I will shop organic; I will shop economically.
I will stay home; I will work.
Do you, amiga! Say, ¡Soy yo!
