two in a row...

So this is…let me count… night number 7 of struggling to fall asleep. It’s 11pm now and I’ve been trying to sleep for the last hour and a half or so. At least I can say this time it isn’t because I’m melting; it’s actually been pleasantly cool for sleeping these days. Anyway, I’m not sure why but I always seem to be most inspired to write at this time of night. Maybe it’s because the words that have been fumbling around in my mind all day demand to come out before allowing me to rest peacefully. Darn demanding words…ha! Anyway, here goes…

I’ll start with a week ago. Wednesday it was when my host brother Eduardo showed up at Centro Hogar, the school where I work with his mom Damaris. I said a quick hello as I prepared to receive my next couple of tutees. It struck me as unusual that he was there but I assumed he just decided to pay us a visit. Then as the afternoon went on the school social worker dropped in to tell me that Eduardo had been mugged on the bus, that the ladrones took his backpack, his wallet and topped it all off with some strong threats. When I had a moment, I acknowledged with him what had happened and offered him some words of comfort…if there is such a thing so soon after such a nerve-wracking experience. He seemed to be handling it well but was a bit shook up. As the work day came to a close, myself, Damaris, Eduardo and Camila (my host sister who participates afterschool program I’m running) all gathered ourselves and ventured home. While walking our usual route Damaris told us that just that morning while she was walking to work she felt some watchful eyes following her so decided to visit a co-workers house to compose herself and see if said eyes passed…which after waiting a bit eventually did. She mentioned it as if it was no big deal. But let me tell you, the experience of Eduardo followed by Damaris’ anecdote made for a seriously accelerated heart rate during my walks to work the next couple of days and for some less than pleasant dreams about robbers coming in our house through my window. Pero alli ibamos and just when, as a family, felt we were coming out from underneath the weight of the danger of reality here…the rains came.

And they kept coming, and coming, and coming and coming. Which brings us up to Saturday night…when we weren’t sure if we should pack a bag or build a canoe in preparation for what was to come. Instead we just laughed, kept our ears open for evacuation sirens, watched just enough news to stay informed…but mostly movies, made hot cocoa (it was actually chilly if you can believe), and then went to bed making light-hearted references to the movie Titanic and how we too weren’t sure if we would wake up but at least we went to bed with smiles on our faces and chocolate in our bellies.

To be honest however, despite the smiles and jokes, by Monday the gravity of it all caught right up with me. As soon as I had time to think I freaked myself out, of course. Which is legit…it’s good to understand the vulnerability we are living in here and how just a little more rain, or being just one street over, or on another bus, we could find ourselves in crisis too. All of this is to say that people here live in a constant state of emergency. My host Mom often says, “If it isn’t one thing, it’s another.” And it’s true. Dang. So how do they respond? And how have I learned to respond? We live in the moment, we love fully, we thank God for the little things and we laugh. It’s quite simple really. If you all could only meet these very people I believe you too would be inspired as much as I am.

So I’ll leave you with that for now. And until next time just give it a whirl…live in the moment, love fully, thank God for the little things, and laugh, laugh, laugh.

Take good care and BIG HUGS to all.
P.S. I think I’m gonna sleep well tonight. ; )