Tag: Colombia

Melting Pot

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We are a nation of immigrants. I’m proud to say that I’m an immigrant as well. I came to The USA in 1976 and I thank God everyday for bringing me here. My aunt Blanca came here in the 1960’s and established herself with a job as a secretary in Chicago; once she was settled in she began to work on helping  many of her brothers and sisters come here with their families. My aunt Blanca is one of my one personal heroes because if it wasn’t for her starting the whole process, I don’t know if I would be here today.

Another personal hero of mine is my uncle in whose house I grew up. He came to the USA in 1968 with his new wife. He was a young doctor in Colombia and he gave it all up to come live here. He followed his sister Blanca to Chicago; his first winter here was rough; coming from a tropical climate like Colombia, he had to endure the great Chicago blizzard of ’68. Not only that, he had to really start over career wise; he would go to night school to learn English and in the day time he had to work hard to pass his tests in order to get his MD licence so he could practice medicine here in the US.

My uncle had made a very comfortable life for himself by the time I came to live with him and his family. 2 years after I arrived, he joined the Air Force. THAT was so amazing to me. He chose to give back to this great country of ours by serving in the armed forces and I have always been very proud of him for that. I don’t know of too many people who would give up their comfortable life style, an established medical private practice and all if its accoutrements  to serve in the military like this special man did. He gave back to a country that gave him almost everything.

So today I salute my family members who have served and are  still serving in the military: Uncle Frank, Mireya (sister), Diego (brother), Kelli, Tracy (brother-in-law), Frank (cousin), Joe (father- in- law, deceased), Kristina (Niece), Larry (brother-in-law), David, Don Sr. ( deceased ).

I also salute and thank all of my friends who are currently serving and who have served this great land of ours in the past. I can’t name them all because they are too numerous to name..you know who you are! Thank you for being the brave men and women that you are who keep this country free from the claws of oppression. God bless you and your families always!

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 8

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Please refer back to my earlier posts and read what this challenge is about so that the later posts make sense. :)

 

Day  8 Question #8: What is the oldest keepsake in your possession?

Answer: I tend to  “travel light” so I don’t hang on to a lot of stuff. A long time a go I heard someone say that if you have stuff that you haven’t looked at or used in the last 6 months, that it’s time to get rid of it. Ever since I adopted that way of thinking, it has made for less of a cluttered life.

So today it was easy for me to answer this question. I have a sterling silver pin that I was given on my last day in Colombia. I had been living with my great aunt Clarissa for a few months as I waited for the legalities of my coming to the US to be finalized. That morning, she took me to a cabinet where she kept all of her fine silver pieces.  After looking a round for a bit she found this brooch and she pinned it on my collar. I was 6 years old at the time and I never understood why she chose such a nice piece to give to a little kid. That pin represents the end of my life in Colombia and the beginning of a new life with a new family for me in The States. I love wearing it because it reminds me of my roots.

 

 

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 7

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Please refer back to my earlier posts and read what this challenge is about so that the later posts make sense. :)

Day 7 Question 7: As a youngster, whose house did you always look forward to visiting?

Answer: My Abuelita (Grandma) Isabel’s house was the best place ever! She would always greet me with a kiss and a hug and then she’d press a $2 bill into my hand. She would tell me to spend it or save it; now that those $2 notes aren’t around, I wish I would have kept them. She was a seamstress and there were times when I’d sit by her sewing table watching her work; she’d tell me all of the stories of all the dogs she had owned when she lived in Colombia. Her two favorite canines were named Trambia, after the street cars that had just come to Bogota; and Nylon, after the popular lady’s fashion accessory of her day.

"Eje Ambiental" on Bogota Downtown, ...
Image via Wikipedia Bogota

At times Abuelita would tell me stories of my father; he was her youngest of 11 children. I learned a lot about him through these brief times of sharing.

Abuelita Isabel had a sweet tooth bar none. She would keep a tin of cookies, Lemon Coolers were her favorite. Once I entered her bedroom she’d give me a few from her cookie tin which she kept close to her night stand. At other times she would sit in her easy chair in the living room eating Tootsie Rolls and drinking glass after glass of water. To this day, when I eat candy, I wash it down with a big glass of water.

I always hated going home after spending time in Abeulita’s house; because her home and presence gave me comfort. Things were cold in the home I grew up in.At Abuelita’s house the whole atmosphere was warm and welcoming, much like the afghans she crocheted for her 32 grand children…I still have mine and on the coldest of nights I take it out and wrap myself in it, still feeling her warm embrace. 

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 6

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Please refer back to my earlier posts and read what this challenge is about so that the later posts make sense. :)

Day 6 Question # 6

What is one family vacation you have never taken but would still love to take one day?

Answer: This one was easy! I dream of taking my 4 kids to Colombia because that’s where I was born. I left  Colombia when I was 6 years old and I want my kids to see where I came from.I love Colombian food; there are fruits in Colombia such as cherimoyas,( also known as Custard Apple and Bullock Heart)

mamoncillos (Spanish Lime),

Curuba, found only in Colombia (Passion Fruit),  

 

and other exotic fruits that you can’t find in the U.S. so easily. If you do luck up and find some, they are either too expensive or they never ripen properly. That would be one of the main reasons to go there with my kids, so they can experience Colombian culture. The picture below is my birth place, Medellin.

30 Day Blog Challenge: Day 3

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I was inspired this morning to start a 30 day Blog Challenge. The questions are from an interesting little book I picked up a while ago at a thrift store. THE MOM & DAD QUESTION, CREATIVE QUESTIONS to HONOR the FAMILY by Bret Nicholaus and Paul Lowrie. I will post one question per day and I will give you an answer that came from times of our discussing this little book at our family‘s dinner table. I look forward to my reader’s responses, so YES by all means leave me YOUR answers in the comments section of this blog. Since The Holidays are coming up, maybe you can pick up your own copy of this book and bring it to your own family’s holiday celebrations :)

Day 3 Question # 3: Is there anyone you know of in your family’s history who had an encounter with or knew someone famous?

Answer: Here is an excerpt from my book   AS CLEAR AS CLAIRE GETS, A CONVERSATION with the PAST that tells of how my mama met the president of Colombia.

When Fidel was 8 years old, papa and mama only had 2 children at the time. Mama studied to become a legal secretary and after she met papa, he told her that he didn’t want her to work outside the home.Mama went against his wishes and she began to prepare herself studying at home in secret. Not too long after that she heard that the president of Colombia,  Carlos Lleras Restrepo was going to make a public appearance at a rally in one of the towns surrounding Medellin. So she took my 2 brothers, Fidel and Alejandro with her because she wanted to speak to the president.

Once they arrived at the hall where they scheduled to hold the rally, the crowd was growing by the minute because everyone was anticipating the president’s arrival. once President Lleras Restrepo arrived, the military saluted him by playing Colombia’s national anthem and the whole place charged up with excitement as shouts went out in honor of the president. Mama stood at the front of the auditorium and she and my brothers waited for him to come close. Then she walked up to him as he stood directly in front of Mama and my brothers. Then she said in a dignified and respectful tone,

“Mr. president, I need to speak with you sir.” Suddenly she was rudely interrupted by a security guard who barked at her,

” Lady, you are too close. Please step back.” Mama was undaunted by his intimidating manner and she pressed on.

” Mr. president, sir, if you could give me a few minutes of your time… I must speak to you.” Again, she was pushed back and threatened by the same security guard. All of a sudden, the president intervened and spoke to my mama, saying to her in a warm and friendly tone,

” Yes ma’am  and what may I help you with at this moment?” Mama must have been thrilled at his acknowledgement but she kept on in her professional manner, never forgetting whom she was standing before,

“Well sir, I’d like to meet in private with you for a few minutes if that’s all right with you.” The president stopped to think for a minute; then he nodded as he reached into the pocket of his coat and retrieved his business card. He turned it over and wrote down some words as he told mama,

” Ma’am, I look forward to meeting with you this afternoon at three at The Hotel Nutibara, which is where I’m staying.”

That afternoon my Mama showed up at three for her interview with President Lleras Restrepo. After their brief meeting, he recommended Mama to Governor Octavio Arizmendi Posada who was the governor of the state of Antioquia. After a few days of enduring challenging exams, Mama landed a job working as an executive secretary of the treasury in the governor’s office in the state of Antioquia.

The flag that is used by the President of Colo...
Image via Wikipedia

30 Day Music Challenge: Day 11

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Juan Luis Guerra en Acceso Total
Image by Lunchbox LP via Flickr

This is another song I remember from my childhood; Juan Luis Guerra‘s “Ojal Que Llueva Cafe”. This song evokes a strong sentiment in me for my days growing up in Colombia. I love this man’s voice because it reminds me of my own papi’s voice. I told my sister that one time; when she came to visit me several years ago and she couldn’t believe I would remember his voice, since I was younger than she was when we lost him. Well, Papi where ever you are, I dedicate this song to you!!

Childhood Abuse Can Affect You Into Adulthood…If You Let it

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I came out of abuse and I can tell you that God used those horrific experiences to teach me some valuable lessons. Yes, I say God because He is the only One that can set the captive free,if you allow Him to do a deep work in your life. The first lesson that I learned from my past abusers is that I didn’t want to do to another human being the vile,profane deeds that were done to me.

At age five I fell prey to the hands of a child molester who lived in the same house I was living in. I could have remained the victim of his mishandling me for all of my life. It wasn’t until I received God’s forgiveness for my own sins, that I began to pray asking God to help me forgive this depraved man. Honestly,every fiber of my being was crying out for revenge. Even though I was here and he was still in Colombia and I was in my early twenty’s, my soul could find no rest. A friend of mine helped me out one day when she told me that if I didn’t forgive him,then God wouldn’t forgive me my sins.
I was furious with God. “Lord!” I would cry out,”Didn’t you see what he did to me? How he robbed me of my innocence? Don’t you care that he violated me and stole what wasn’t his to begin with?” Then one day, God gave me this amazing answer to my years of pain and torment: ” I was there taking all the abuse for you. You were never alone. What he and all the others did to you,they also did to Me.” I was stunned and without words. I let those healing words penetrate my ice cold heart. The more I let the truth of God in my life,it began to melt the hard sheet of ice that had covered my inmost being.
 
If I had hung on to my anger and hurt there is no doubt in my mind that I would have become like my abusers. Refusing to forgive is a trap. Not forgiving those who offend us,puts us in the same prison cell that they are in. Not only that,you are shackled to that person in your spirit. Once you choose to forgive,off come the shackles and you become free of them. I was worried for a long time that if I forgave them,that I was supposed to be involved with that person again. That’s when I learned that you forgive primarily for you. I have forgiven my abusers and I can now pray for them.
I married a man who was also abused as a child and I see how his unforgiveness of his abusers tends to rear its ugly head . At times it wants to wreak havoc in our married life. Recently I told my spouse that his abusers were still a power in his life because he was letting them still control him every time he dwelled on the pain. He had never had anyone tell him that. I love this man too much to see him remain a prisoner trapped in a cage he was put in so long ago. God put us together so we could help each other out. The only way you can help someone out of abuse,is if you’ve walked in the same shoes. Also,the other person has to be willing to not live like a victim but instead allow God to love you past the trauma.With God all things are possible. If you are reading this article, I pray for you that God will give you the strength to face your abuse. Forgive your abuser(s),forgive God and forgive yourself. Whom the Son sets free is free indeed and He desires that you be free,healed and restored!
 

Life is Messy: Live and Love to the Fullest

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Dear Reader, I wrote this post back in 2009 when I had another blog. I wanted to share it since tomorrow is Valentine’s Day…Remember how special you truly are!!VD

Life is messy. Nature reflects the messiness of life. We spend our whole time here making sense of the chaos; ordering our lives so as to try to put a handle on the mess. Life never works out as neat and tidy Algebraic equation In math, it all works out without fail. Follow a prescribed method and WAPA! Problem solved , move on!

Well, life hardly mirrors mathematics. It does have prescribed patterns and formulas. For instance, there are physical laws such as gravity as well as spiritual laws of reaping and sowing. These and a multitude of others are set in place so we may have order in the midst of chaos.

We are taught as children to follow and obey  all that is set before us then, PRESTO!  We will be successful and have a great life. The more we live though, we all come to the same conclusion; life is messy. The Golden Rule says to treat others  as you would like to be treated. The problem is it works sometimes and at other times people can be down right cruel. Then there is the pursue love at all costs and yet again, when we do, we are left feeling stranded at times…life is messy. So, you love someone and you keep loving that person no matter what and they never love you back; another unsolved equation.

Love is never a science; knowledge of facts or principles gained by systematic study. The laws of science dictate cause and effect. For every action there is an opposite and equal reaction, that’s how science works. Love is messy because there are no guarantees; if I love, that does not guarantee that my actively loving someone will cause that person to love me back equally and with the same measure of love. The human heart is an ocean with its shallow areas where we can swim and feel all is well within; don’t worry there are no “be ware of sharks” signs  posted. Swim safely. Then there are those areas where the light has never reached; similar to those parts of the ocean where no man ,no camera has ever seen. There IS life in those depths awaiting our discovery. We fear the unfamiliar, so we stay in the shallow parts for our safety. Deep calls to deep and when we hear that call to venture out more, where it’s messy and chaotic, where things simply don’t add up, then we back paddle back to our safe zone. It takes trust to venture out to the unknown recesses  in our hearts; to let love into areas that remain in the dark. Love is light; a closed up heart is a heart in  darkness. Fear keeps  us locked up thereby giving us a false security. The wise man said that out of the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks; we unlock or lock people up with our words; life giving words unlock others and poisonous words that curse keep others locked up as in a cell…solitary confinement. Love requires relationships. Some say, ” I love you but I have a hard time showing you. ” Well, love is easy to spot…it’s messy and all over the place. Picture a little child who was trying to make you breakfast and went on to make a great mess in attempting so. A little dab won’t do you; you have to reach out and take all you can. The more you take then you have more than enough to give to others. So if you take only a little, you’ll only have enough for you and that’s why you say, ” I love you but I can’t show you because I haven’t enough for the two of us.

Love should be celebrated everyday because everyday is a brand new opportunity for love to come into those dark areas in our hearts. People tolerate love because its nature is unpredictable, nerve wracking and annoying, especially when it show up unexpectedly. If we relegate it to a few holidays such as Christmas Valentine’s day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and all the minor holidays that fall in between, then love is confined and it loses intensity. Love’ REAL LOVE baffles the mind and astounds the senses and it should. God is Love; Love is God. God so loves us, with a messy kind of all over the place love;the kind that was powerful enough to gift us His only Son. He puts His heart on the line for us and the best we can do is love one another and in doing so we are loving Him.

Eva Santiago copyright 2009,2014
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