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Sunday, September 03, 2006

Circle at MLL
I cannot even begin to describe what it has been like the past 2 days. Look up "amazing" in the dictionary and get all the synonyms, look up "exhausting" too. 1st day everyone shared their stories, and it wasn't 12 stories, it was 20 something because staff midwifes and other students came to "circle" too. This day was filled with profound rituals and one of them was the telling of our individual stories.
This is a tradition at Maternidad la Luz, the welcoming of all the fresh shining faces by storytelling. Storytelling must take on different forms in different groups but for our group it meant profound sharing, it meant the falling off of the day to day facade that we erect, it meant tears, it meant laughter, and it meant truth. At the end of the day the air was thick with meaning, compassion and great love.
Yesterday we had a day learning about MLL logistics, protocols (some so very different than the way that I have learned, I am sure I will discuss this later on), and then an afternoon discussing Juarez and Mexico, most specifically the concept of a border city and the situation. The afternoon was tough, shocking, humbling. Google Juarez and you will see what I am saying, mostly articles about the violence against women and the murder rate, the maquiladores, the orphans.

It is all part of my reality right now, Mll is a mile from the border. We feel rather protected in our lovely birth space with pink walls and all kinds of birth art on the walls. We feel liberated ya know, man are we ever sheltered from most but not all of this.

I figured out how much about borders I know just living in San Diego and being a bilingual teacher for so many years. But I don't know and don't think I ever will know really. I still live in "gringolandia"....I am grateful for that card I drew in life. I feel a bit guilty saying that but despite all of the crap that I have been through, I am grateful for my life. It is a good life

So my little man is calling me out to play with him, and I must go, lego calls. Please keep me in your thoughts (in a good way)

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