simple joys

I arrived in Valledupar late Friday and was greeted by my father and by Rafa and Celina (Jose Francisco and Emma´s parents for those of you who know them). It is a wonderful surprise to experience unexpected joy. Seeing my father, Rafa, and Celina brought me just such joy. It´s a gift to be met with such love.

My first night I shared a drink with Rafa and Celina, explored my grandmother´s house (recently renovated by Jose and now my father´s) and promptly crashed. I was so tired from traveling that I could not manage to speak coherently in any language. French and Spanish and English mixed in a most alarming way. Needless to say I have a new respect for those of you who daily navigate the world in a language that is not your own. I have never felt quite so frustrated or helpless. It hasn´t been long since I was last here and that night my tongue tripped over every syllable in every language in which I could hope to communicate.

Saturday my father and I went to visit our farm. I was able to survey my sheep, which always makes me happy. I was given three sheep for my birthday last November and today I have 17 with 5 more on the way. The pressure is on for me to begin selling or eating them, but I can´t bear to do so. I asked for ´chivos para ver, no para comer´ (sheep to look at, not to eat) and I want to stand my ground. Lamb is nice, I suppose, but they are such lovely creatures...

After checking out the cattle and other livestock and investigating the fences and the pastures, we picked up the three children of Francisco, one of the administrators of the farm, and took them into the city. What a pleasure it was to spend a day with Moni, Kati, and Goyo. They are really lovely children-- polite, engaging, funny. They have a simple life that gives them raw pleasure in the most basic of things. They live on our ranch in a very modest house with their parents, help with the cattle and livestock, grow their own food, take a faithful donkey to school. Their lives are so rich and they are so fortunate. I relished the opportunity to experience Valledupar with them, to be reminded of the simple joys of this place.

That´s the thing. Being here again I am keenly aware of the basic joys and challenges of life here. My Valledupar has changed and perhaps I have changed as well. (Even in the last two months.) I am daily negotiating and discovering what it is that I love, who it is I hope to be, what it is I can do to reflect the beliefs I hold. It´s a very strange time for me and I have very mixed emotions, but I am praying that everything will reveal itself in time. In the meantime, what´s a girl to do but keep on keeping on. I start working at the foundation tomorrow and I hope this will be another opportunity to ´keep climbing´.