By Reynaldo Mena
If life were a bet, it might seem like Celia Morales Milla had everything stacked against her. In her childhood, she was told that she would end up as ‘una chola’ (a derogatory term for a woman of indigenous heritage) – with no future, living on the streets. While her home life had some harmony, the culture there did not encourage expressing emotions openly. At the age of 18, she became a single mother, facing a tough battle against all odds to build a life without lacking anything.
“I took responsibility for my own growth to become who I am now,” says Celia Morales Milla, the owner of Brick & Mortar Pretty lil Things in Long Beach, specializing in floral arrangements and design.
Her childhood was quite happy. She played with her friends all the time, attended parties, and had no worries. Her parents provided everything she needed, and she didn’t feel she needed anything.
However, her problems started during adolescence in high school. She didn’t enjoy school, missed her carefree life with friends and parties, and lacked guidance to show her the way.
“At home, we were not accustomed to worrying about school. My father worked all the time, and my mother, who got married at 15, lived with a lot of resentment and anger, seemingly hiding in household chores and not expressing herself,” says Celia Morales Milla.
But from a young age, she was determined not to become a “chola.” She wanted to prove to those who didn’t believe in her that she could achieve something.
“Since I was 14, I’ve been working. Maybe I didn’t like school, but I loved working and earning my own money,” she tells me.
“What did you do with your money at such a young age?” I ask.
“Buy clothes, my things,” Celia Morales Milla shares with a big smile.
From a young age, she knew she wanted a good job, preferably in an office. But she started with nothing, without support, and with many challenges ahead.
“Imagine, at 18, I had many plans – having a good job, doing things with my friends – and suddenly, I became pregnant. Everything fell apart, and I felt devastated,” she adds.
It was during high school, and everything seemed chaotic.
“My friends were out on the streets all the time, with their boyfriends, carefree. In contrast, I was pregnant, jobless, and had to get out of that situation on my own. I felt judged. Everyone bet that I wouldn’t amount to anything. My parents were there, but they were not used to expressing their feelings in words. We didn’t grow up saying ‘I love you.’ I thought there were times when I had to buy their love,” she shares.
Her voice breaks. She looks back to that young girl with no resources, not enough clothes, lacking what she needed to move forward.
“It was always my passion for work that pulled me through. I set many goals for myself and had to fight for them,” she says. “I always knew I had to work very hard. I found programs for single mothers and attended them. I commuted by bus, whatever it took, nothing stopped me.”
Her social life had become almost nonexistent.
“My mom helped me with my baby, but only when I was working. If I wanted to go out with my friends or attend parties, she reminded me that I had a baby and the responsibility to take care of her,” she tells me.
She lived in a difficult environment, and communication with her sisters was limited. Her mother could never overcome her resentment.
But her persistence paid off. She soon found a part-time job, and later, a full-time position at a cable company that helped her climb the ladder.
“From being a temporary assistant, I moved on to a full-time customer service position. Then I got a marketing assistant position that I loved. HBO and other companies organized parties I could attend. I liked that. After that, I became an Executive Assistant, and I realized that my limit in that company had been reached. I had to find other things,” she says.
She considers herself a fighter, hardworking, money-driven, not to spend but to advance in her life.
“During that time, I met my husband. He moved into the apartment above mine. We had already met at the cable company. A few months later, he moved in with me. I was fascinated; he took care of everything, and for the first time, I didn’t have to worry about anything. I was surprised by how organized he was with everything. Very responsible, taking care of all the expenses and payments,” she says.
As her cable company days were behind her, she started working temporarily for her husband’s security company and at a banquet. One day, she applied for a job at UCLA Jules Stein Institute.
“I didn’t have much hope; I had never worked in that sector. But I went for it anyway. After submitting the application, while driving with my daughter, we saw a convoy of cars with the former president Bill Clinton. He was going the other way. My daughter and I got so excited. There was Clinton, waving at us, and we were shouting at him. That spectacular moment was a positive sign, and I got the job,” she says enthusiastically.
Later, with her husband’s initiative, she started working at ILWU Local 63 OCU, where she eventually retired.
“Everything was fine, but I felt that something was missing; I wasn’t happy,” she confesses.
Her connection with flowers and plants came from her family. She had grown up with them but hadn’t realized it until much later.
“My husband used to send me flowers at work, and I would get angry. I told him to save the money; they were too expensive,” she comments.
But destiny couldn’t be avoided and came knocking soon.
“It all started when my daughter got engaged. She and I designed and created the flowers for her bridal shower, wedding, and her baby shower. Needless to say, I was hooked! People started asking us to do the flowers for their events. My daughter Rachel thought it would be a good idea to start doing flowers as a business, so I ran with that idea while she started her family. She helps me when she can; she’s busy with my two grandchildren and has a full-time job herself. On July 14, 2013, we made our first post on Instagram, and today, I continue to hustle through as I sleep, breathe, and constantly think about flowers, events, and growing my business. I absolutely love what I do,” Celia Morales Milla shared in a recent interview.
Brick & Mortar Pretty lil Things was born, becoming a small oasis in Celia Morales Milla life.
“I like being alone, arranging flowers, listening to music. I enjoy it. And when it gets busy, I enjoy the adrenaline. This is different from anything else I’ve done in my life. I am different myself,” she adds.
In her long struggle, there is still one thing left to achieve. She wants to reduce her workload in the future, get her daughters more involved, and who knows, in the near future, fulfill her dream of having a Bed & Breakfast or a retreat center with yoga and spirituality.
“I enjoy taking care of people; I would like that. Perhaps I don’t speak much Spanish because that’s how I grew up, but I assure you that I cook excellent Mexican food, better than those who do speak Spanish,” she says with a laugh.
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