Dr. Kathleen Dianora Duffy writes about this family she visited on a recent trip to Cuernavaca, Mexico, with youth from Camden.
As I stood in the brilliant Mexican sunshine on the afternoon of Jan. 13, a wave of panic washed over me.
My trepidation was not the result of being one of the adults responsible for six youth from Hopeworks ‘n Camden nearly 3,000 miles away from home, nor was it caused by warnings of cartel violence published on the U.S. State Department website.
I was fearful that the one liter bottle of Jarritos soda my gracious hostess was pouring was not going to fill all the cups of her 12 guests. With each cup she poured, I analyzed how much was left, and how this simple expression of generosity might cause her family not to have enough money to eat that night.
All the members of my group reflected on these events that evening. We were saddened that only one of the five children in the family was able to attend school, as well as the fact that there was no running water or cooking facilities in the house, save for a hot plate in the bedroom.
This was not the only expression of kindness from a stranger that left me speechless on my six day journey to Cuernavaca, a city of 1 million that is 50 miles south of Mexico City and is dubbed “The City of Eternal Spring.” The next morning I visited a Community Center run by the agency VAMOS, where I had the opportunity to read to children and give each of them a paperback book to take home. I admired a doll skirt that one of the moms was crocheting for her child, who was named Monse. At the end of the session, tiny little 3-year-old Monse tapped me and handed me the skirt. It was beautiful, and I felt blessed to be given something out of want, not excess.
We took photos as she left, and I had mixed feelings about the blessings my own children had: so many books that they can’t keep track of; toys; a safe home and neighborhood to play in; and most of all, food to be eaten whenever hunger strikes. The notion that families do not make enough money to feed their children was difficult for me to accept.
If the goal of my group had simply been to help the children of Cuernavaca, we would have mailed them a check for the $10,000 dollars we raised. This would have paid for salaries for VAMOS staff members for a long time. Our goal was to learn something for ourselves, and to be touched by the lives of the Mexican families we came in contact with. We are privileged, and all had the good fortune to be born into a set of circumstances that give us opportunities.
As we return to our daily lives in the U.S., we need to remember this perspective and share the blessings we are given with those we interact with each day.
Dr. Kathleen Dianora Duffy is a teacher at St. Joseph Pro-Cathedral School, Camden.
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