| Cynthia
Guzman
Class of 2005
La Salle University
There
isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about Mexico.
I picture in my mind the way the flowers move with the wind, the
smell of home cooking, and the sounds of the children playing. My
experience in Tijuana with Los Ninos has left footprints in my heart
that I am still unable to define justly. Being from a Hispanic background
myself, I was anxious to go to Tijuana and be surrounded by my language
and the values that are so important to many Hispanic cultures.
What
I gained from the trip was a lot more than I could ever imagine
and the emotions behind it all still burn in my heart. It is not
often that one can take a trip such as this with your peers, and
come out changed forever. Not only did we have the opportunity to
make a difference in the lives of the community, but deep down inside,
we were changing our own lives.
The
work was hard and challenging, but I learned perseverance and the
real definition of will power. There wasn’t anything that
could pull me away from a pile of cement so easily because I was
determined to work hard – the community didn’t deserve
anything less than my 150% every moment of the day. The community
is warm, inviting, and humble- that taught me compassion and respect
for every thing they go through. It also taught me to not take for
granted the things I have in my life, every single day, that many
will never see in their own lifetimes or the lives of their grandchildren.
The
opportunities given to us to visit the maquiladoras and to talk
to various community members, showed me that there is always two
sides to the story. I have to be honest that I thought I would go
into Mexico knowing exactly what to be upset about, know exactly
who to be angry with, and at least have some clear solutions as
to how to help. I recognize that it was naïve of me to think
that way, now. There was no black and white side to any issue we
faced there. It was all so gray, but surprisingly however I did
not become discouraged by it. In the midst of adversity, we have
to learn to challenge ourselves and find hope, somehow.
Here
in Camden, New Jersey where I am a member of a Catholic parish,
I have gotten to know a Mexican family of seven that is in dire
help. Having crossed the border many years ago, living in a small
house with eight other family members, they are now left to be on
their own without any help. The immediate and intense reaction to
hold them and run to their side surprised me. The strength and love
I felt in Mexico I feel now in Camden whenever I see them. I organized
collections at my work and within my family that helped get this
family settled in a new home and other basic needs.
You
see, Tijuana never leaves you. And you never leave Tijuana. If only
more people could have the opportunity to experience such beauty
and simplicity. I think more would realize what life really is about.
What really makes the heart beat. Not money, cars, or clothes, but
the warmth and love you feel from another human being. And then
in turn, being able to share that warmth with someone else.
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