A long time ago in a country not too far away…

A girl and her two brothers running, excited to meet a group of foreigners who came to poor neighborhoods in Mexico every year and handed out toys to children.  The feeling of receiving a toy when you have almost nothing is a feeling of joy that I cannot adequately describe. That feeling  is a constant reminder that there is life in this planet… that there are good people in the world willing to give to others who have none. Because of that act of kindness, I made a promise to myself that day.  I would become that kind person and make children happy…

Soon after coming to the U.S. I joined several organizations to give back to the community.  Although I really enjoyed volunteering with those organizations, the work was mostly packing food, cleaning up beaches, and things like that. I really wanted my family to engage in these activities with me, but to be honest, I couldn’t find a way to get my kids excited about getting up at 6:00 a.m. to do manual labor. Me however, once I had my coffee and reminded myself that

“. . . only a life lived for others is a life worth living.” – Albert Einstein

I was all pumped and ready to go.

Unfortunately, because of my work schedule and the distance of events I was unable to participate as much as I wanted to.  So, I kept my eyes open for other ways to help closer to home and would motivate my family  to engage in charity and community work.

I was born and raised in Mexico. So prior to 2004, I had never actually watched Star Wars…

Yeah, I know…

But in my defense, it was not for lack of interest but rather lack of availability to me.  It was Sal who introduced Lizzy and myself to the world of Star Wars.  I remember playing the movies over and over to familiarize myself with the English language and in an attempt to learn management skills from Darth Vader and Princess Leia as soon as I was given my first supervising position at one of my first jobs in the US.

(disclaimer: no employees were forced chocked or called walking carpets during my supervision).

Sal and I then, upon birth introduced Axel and Victoria to Star Wars.

Now, the whole family LOVES Star Wars.

So, there was no second guess to join Saber Guild, a group of Star Wars costumers who bring happiness to children and adults by dressing up as Star Wars characters and performing lightsaber duels. Later, we joined several other groups such as Rebel Legion, The 501st, and Mandalorian Mercs.  Unfortunately, some of those groups do not allow children… so what do we do?…

We rebel.

…and formed our own family club.

The Rogue Rebels.

 “If all you do is fight for your own life, then your life is worth nothing.”. – Hera Syndulla