I have so much I want to write, but I don't have the time. Every second that I spend here at the computer, I'm not spending with the grandkids & family at the house.
I almost started crying yesterday because they keep giving me things. (Okay, that's a lie. I DID start crying. But not 'till I was in my room by myself). The whole family does it. The grandma bought me jammies, the kids are giving me their stuffed animals, the parents gave me a mini mug and some old indeginous statues. The things that have practical uses (they try and give me jackets, etc.) I can refuse by saying that I don't need it, and they understand. But all other protests ("no, it's yours, I couldn't take it from you." "No really, you should keep it." "I couldn't possibly take that. It's beautiful, but it belongs here.") are futile. They won't accept my excuses, and they look increasingly more hurt with all of my refusals. But when I accept their gift, their faces light up!
But I feel so bad, because I don't have anything to give back!!!!!!!!!!!! I've told them this, too, and they instantly point to the post cards from Berkeley that I've given them (that they have all FRAMED and hung in their respective houses) and then they say that I gave them the gift of me and my heart.
BUT THAT'S NOT ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (that's what I'm yelling in my head).
I've exhausted the rest of my duct tape (1/2 a role, maybe more) making crowns and bracelets and jewelry for the kids. I've bought out the town of art supplies (a total of $7, if that), but everything that the kids make THEY GIVE TO ME! Today I made a rule that they could only make things for their parents and grandparents, which proved to be effective.
But I just feel so bad, because I don't have anything to give. All the clothes that I have with me are dirty & gross, and it's not like I'm carrying around lots of "trinkets" when all I have is a backpack. All my nice stuff were gifts from other people down here. The only thing that I might be able to give is a t-shirt from UPeace, but how to do give a t-shirt to a family of 10ish people that live in different houses without causing problems? Especially when the kids already fight over . . . everything? And can't go buy them something because a) the only money I have left I need for my bus ride home & they don't take cards here, b) I feel like buying them some little piece of crap would de-value everything they've given me, & c) I wouldn't know what to get.
So I guess my only option is to accept their more than generous gifts with as much gratitude as I can translate, keep loving on and playing with thier kids, and promise myself that someday I'll come back and spoil them all rotton. They deserve so much more than what I am able to give.
I just feel so blessed that I've been able to be a part of this family for the past 10 days. They've really made my experience here incredible. They've been more than generous with their love, patience with my spanish, drawings, time, food, etc.
EVERYONE.
Not just the family (my family, I mean grandparents that I live with and MULTIPLE sets of cousins/aunts/uncles). But everyone in the community.
Oh ya, now I remember what I was supposed to write about here. I wanted to write about those "life doesn't get any better than this" moments. And how I've had more than my fair share of them, whether it's with new friends in a foreign country or with my family Christmas morning when were all sitting contently in the same room and not fighting about Catan. I've had so many. And I was going to write about how on Sunday I had one, standing in the back of a pick-up truck holding onto the bar thing that goes over the cab as we drove through the Costa Rican high lands. And this was with a family that I didn't even know 11 days ago, and it's was an entirely different family than the one I'm living with.
A whole other set of people that I'm so grateful for. They brought me to this little place that you have to drive through this dirt road to for a long time that was apparently "the place to be" on a Sunday afternoon, because practically everyone I've met here was there. Just the drive alone was enough to satisfy me (probably my least favorite thing about the states it the illegality of truck-bed riding). But this little place was a paradise. I got to go FISHING and I caught 3 FISH! (Fishing may be a bit of an overstatement. It was a stocked pond). But I caught the fish on my stick with string! The son Brando, who is 11, caught two also, and then we ATE them. It was awesome!!
And there was a rope swing and nice people and a waterfal. In the middle of the Costa Rican highlands.
I'm in paradise with some of the most generous people you'll ever meet!!!!!!!!!! I really can't believe how lucky I am.
I know I've mentioned this before (a long time ago), but one time when I was in Yosemitie with my family, my unlce mentioned something that's stuck with me. He said, "It may get different-beautiful than this, but it doesn't get more beautifult than this."
I may have different-amazing experiences than this, but life doesn't get any better.
(But I still wish I had more to give back. . .)
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