Lately there is one question repeating itself, which makes us more and more meditative….
“Do you still like living in Venezuela?”
There is something interesting in the answer, and it is not simple, neither complex, it is indeed deeper, and really “spiritual” reflection.
Each day that we spend more in Venezuela, our beliefs, principles and values are stronger. The difficulties make us see huge opportunities for our family. The San Francisco Prayer means more right now (see above in yellow card)…
Why???
In any other circumstances, our family would never be so united.
In any other circumstances, our family would never need to be so strong in our faith and in our self judgment.
We are learning to value small things; one Saturday night watching movies, in our living room, with pop corn, cola and sweets is great! One breakfast together cooking and having fun, is better!! Even better is singing together any Brazilian music and teaching the kids Portuguese!
The kids ask a lot, doubt a lot, and see things that no other children will do, is it bad? No, this is a huge opportunity, depending on how you handle and “juggle” with the subject – we learn to be better parents, to answer more adequately, to give the right attention to their questions.
We finally are really being vegetarian!!! The good food is the one that we are able to cook with the magic ingredients we are able to have in our shelves, we have never valued good food as now…
Also we are able to find good in anything, we finally really understand the meaning of “look the positive side”, and really see how important it is for you to build resilience.
Paradigms – we are breaking them… we are learning that being flexible, but knowing your values is something that sometimes seems impossible (being flexible with your principles and keep values?), then we have a challenge, a real one, a REAL one, not what normal people have, and then we learn that, to be able to be flexible and keep our values, we have to look for the greater good, looking for the results in long term, but not leaving the short term, otherwise you will have no short, neither long term… Ambiguity? Complexity? This is our daily learning!!! Who would ask for something else?
Our family is learning what is to have unconditional love, but really unconditional… if you say you love – then take this… Bummm something happens that makes you look again to everything and then you have to look deep inside yourself and your hearth and ask – is this the size of sacrifice I would do for what I love – AHA…. Didn’t you tell that you had unconditional love????
Yes, unconditional love, unconditional commitment – this has been the biggest learning I think I will take forever. This is the kind of love you tell you have for your kids, but is it really unconditional??? Just one question – would you ever be able to be alive if any of your kids would tell that he/she loves someone else more than they love you – and not a partner, not their children… If you have a love for your children that is jealous, that is possessive, then it is not unconditional love… The really unconditional love for your children is loving them despite of any choices they have, despite of any love they have for someone else, any decisions they make – the real unconditional love, is the kind of love, that you do not ask anything back, you, indeed, do not expect anything, you simply do everything that you really think is the best for them, not protecting them, but making them independent and being ready to live one day without you, because believe me, they will have to do so…
On this same logic – what is then unconditional love for a country??????? Would you do whatever you could to make it improve, without any expectation? Without any judgment, helping and supporting whatever is needed, keeping your beliefs and simply looking for what will make this nation stronger? Would you be able to leave some battles that seem to be important, but they are not adding up for the future of your country? Are you able to see what will make you leave a legacy? Are you able to do something without any expectation, and simply for the sake of seeing your country having a future?
Yes, I love being in Venezuela, with and despite everything – my secret – I really believe that these years here in Venezuela will finally build the human being I will be, the “old lady” I will, Venezuela will end up building the greater part of the picture I will be when I die. …and I want to take each second, each lesson from these period and build a better human being from myself and all my family, learning to be happy from inside, not needing anything else, and knowing that when you love something, you just live for it, and do never forget who you are and what is your mission here in this life…
Yes, I do know I have to be here right now and I do not regret one second being here, indeed I thank God for placing me here right now! Venezuela is already part of me, Venezuela gave me my family…