When as a woman I began to analyze this, I began to pay attention to the words of my own mother and the older women in my family: “Your great-grandmother did not want to get married. She wanted to be free. She even cut off all of her hair in protest!”
How many dreams could not express? How many of them prayed for wings every day so they could fly and explore the world? How many of them longed to be seen as individuals with thoughts, opinions, and ideas of their own?
Throughout history, millions of women have lived and their secret dreams have died with them. I am the first woman in my family who was born with wings to fly as they imagined when they closed their eyes. When I was selected for this trip, I realized that this life no longer belongs to me alone. When I fight for more, I carry with me in my heart, in my mind and in my soul all the hopes of women who were not allowed to see beyond the confines of their own home.
Two experiences have fundamentally moved me since my space flight. The first took place in Morelos. I was meeting with people who came to hear me give a lecture to university students when an elderly lady approached me. She took my hands without saying a single word and through her tears I could meet her gaze. “We can live our own lives,” I told her as she nodded her head and her tears fell harder. We hugged and in that moment I felt as if she could see a mirror version of herself in me.
The second was in Tlaxcala. After a beautiful dinner organized by the university that I visited, it was time to return to my hotel. At that moment my mom said to me: “Did you see the older woman dressed like you in the blue astronaut suit?” I was surprised to hear those words. I had seen children and young adults dressed as astronauts throughout my career, but NEVER an older woman. I asked them to please find her. As soon as I saw her, I couldn’t hold back my tears. He couldn’t explain what he was feeling, but he knew he needed to hold her. Thanks to her I realized that we must welcome the older generations to the future of women.
To these women, I would like to say a few words. I see them. I am fighting for you. It is never too early or too late to have dreams. I love them. Dream and fly.
About the author: Since she was a child, Katya Echazarreta showed a great interest in mathematics, physics and the cosmos. Having participated in five NASA missions, she is today the first woman born in Mexico to have traveled into space. In addition, she is awarded an Honoris Causa Doctorate for her humanitarian contributions to society and technology.