Sunshine

It is a beautiful sunny but cold day today and the first in four days that the temperature is above freezing in El Paso.  We are not prepared for such frigid temperatures in our area and so there have been shortages in electicity, gas and water.  Usually it is warm and nice here with occasional freezes.  I am always so grateful for my home, a safe warm place to lie my head at night and the comfort of family and friends.  This week I have worried about people in our community and across the border who may not have access to the comforts I have.  We could see in the air the smoke coming from Mexico where families burned tires, cardboard or whatever they could find just to stay warm.  We live every day with the dichotomy of have and have not.  We have rights, freedoms and safety, and yet just a few miles from where I live that is not true. 

We have been blessed to live in an area where there is great cultural diversity.  I remember times where we would get together with friends or compadres and share work, fun and laughter.  The sense of community that we experience in this area is joyful and there is an appreciation for family and elders.  The big brazo that is part of daily greetings warms my heart and I am glad that my children have grown up having this in their lives.  And so as we live in the sunshine there is hope for warmth not only from the sun but from the warm blooded, loving, caring people who embrace this open land.