Have you ever had something in your life that made you so happy that you still remember it? I do. I remember the day my mother threw me a surprise party. She knew that being fifteen in a Latino world meant a lot. My mother couldn't afford to throw me a Quinceañera – the celebration of a girl's fifteenth birthday in some parts of Latin America. It is celebrated differently than any other birthday, as it marks the transition from teenager to young woman. A Quinceañera is a celebration in which a girl turns fifteen, which in Spanish-speaking countries is an acknowledgment of her journey from teenager to young woman. It begins with a religious ceremony. Next comes the reception which takes place at home or in a banquet hall. The celebration includes food, music, choreographed dances or waltzes (performed by the quinceañera and her court). A court is made up of fourteen people (seven young girls and seven young men) plus the quinceañera, making fifteen. She is wearing a ball gown. Normally the color of the dress is chosen between white or pink, but in recent years it has changed as new trends have emerged. Some dresses now come in blue, purple, yellow, orange, red and even black. As I grew up, I started hearing about fifteen year old girls getting ready to plan their parties and invite people to their quinces. They said they would ask a Mexican/Guatemalan DJ or band to come sing at their party. By having one of these groups at your party, the party would last until midnight or 1 am, the reason is the Latinos' love for dancing. It's a time in your life when you are so excited that you want to have a unique party, a party that no other girl has had. It's kind of like a competition where you can show off that special dress. I would say like a marriage. Everything has to be planned perfectly, it's a big event in the life of a Hispanic girl. I sat there and listened and started to imagine myself at my own party in my dress. When I was fourteen, my father went to prison. Having a quince party without the father is like losing a special part of something you are building. I knew he would feel bad if I had a party without him, especially my quinces.