Elisa wrote this on Monday, November 15, 2005, in Orlando, Florida. It was after we met with Mr. Pons, one of the producers of the Tercer Festival de Mariachi. We had met him in the lobby of the Animal Kingdom Resort, and he told Elisa that he wasn’t interested in her answering 30 questions for the interview. He wanted to know what was in her heart. She shared with him the passion that she felt when she sang mariachi music. She asked Mr. Pons if he had ever heard the song that Jose Alfredo Jimenez had composed, I believe it’s called “Gracias” and in this song he thanks all of his fans for their love and applauses. He said that he would not be able to take the money or anything material with him when he died, but that he would take their love and applauses. Elisa had that song in her CD player and put it on so Mr. Pons could hear it. I remember him saying, “Wow!” after he heard the song.

When we went back to the room, Elisa had to write about herself, family and friends to go with pictures that she had given Mr. Pons. She got very emotional as she was telling me what to write. This is what she said:

“My whole life my family has always been there for me. We are a very united family. My dad has taught me to win and reach for my goals. He has inspired me to be the person that I am today. My mother has taught me that having a relationship with Jesus is very important in life. My brother Xavier and my sister Marisol, have the most faith in me and always encourage me.

The reason that I am in Mariachi is because of my brother. He registered me in Mariachi class without me even knowing.

When I sing for my grandparents, I feel very warm inside because I see the pride in their faces. I love them very much. They are my life.

I have many friends and I love each one of them with all my heart. I have two girlfriends, Danette and Demetria. They have been my best friends for more than six years. One memory which I will always carry in my heart, is when I sang at the funeral of Demetria’s dad. It is very beautiful to have friends like them.

For all my family- my brother-in-law, my uncles, aunts, cousins and nieces, I don’t know how I would live without them in my life. Everyone of them know that Mariachi music is my love and my dream. If it were not for the faith they have in me, it would be very difficult to be here right now.

I see myself as the luckiest girl in the world, because I have the best family in the world.

I extend my heart to every person in my life, because EACH one of them has touched my heart in a very special way!”

I’ll never forget that Elisa broke down crying during and after the time she was giving me these words. It touched me so much, because as her mother, I very seldom saw my daughter cry. I understand now why she cried when she placed runner-up in the Mariachi contest. She told me that she felt that she had let her family and friends down. Elisa wasn’t there for the $$ or for herself, she was there for all those people in her life that she loved so much.

I believe that Elisa took all the love and applauses of her family, friends, and fans with her when she died.