Humble Pie

I oftentimes get so involved in the intricacies of my "complex" life that I forget to take time to be grateful. This international experience has opened my eyes to the realities of life: poverty, sickness, and death. I've ridden in dirt-filled buses and Mercedes Benz(s). I've stayed up late, watched the stars, and learned to value solidarity and my thoughts. 

I was invited to a family dinner, filled with laughter, joy, and love. The house was humbly built, the grill was an assortment of makeshift objects, and the abundant food was of the best quality, radiating like a trophy for all. I knew this party was a huge financial sacrifice for this family. When dinner was called, we all rushed to our seats and before I knew it, the mom was loading my plate with steak, ribs (beef and pork), sausage, rice, and salad. I had not eaten this much food since an eating contest I entered sophomore year of college. I knew that not eating would be an insult. I also knew that I couldn't eat all that food. All eyes were on me, the "brown American girl" (to their chagrin, I am not blonde and I actually speak Spanish) watching me eat the first bite. The meat was tender and the salad was a relief! I ate everything on my plate and was happy to hear a sigh of approval from the matriarch of the family. I observed a younger mother chastise her small child for eating ribs with his hands. I couldn't help but smile and join him in using my hands to eat my food. I have no idea how people can eat ribs with a fork and a knife. All those etiquette classes were wasted, sorry parents!

I watched the matriarch swiftly gather all the uneaten food and neatly package it away in a cooler. Happy children smacked their lips and grinned at each other, mentioning that they hadn't had meat in a long time. Then I saw the matriarch give away much of their cooked meat to another mother, who has more mouth to feeds. It took everything I had to hold back tears, this tender moment touched me. I am so very lucky. I have a roof over my head, true love, and the opportunity of a lifetime. Tonight, I want nothing more than to hold those I love dearly. I am holding them in my heart and can't wait to be reunited with the people I love most.

There is hope for humanity after all. 

I am sitting on a warm bed, 

with a full belly, 

... and a tender heart.