heart for hermosa

This weekend was an eating extravaganza. Friday, I had a craving for Kentucky Fried Chicken. After the greasy food stuck to me, I realize why I don't really eat there much. However, it was still good to have.
Saturday, I baked this awesome (if I say so myself!) Chicken Parm for the roommies. So obviously I'm really full from eating a big hunk of that with pasta. We get a knock at the door. It's our neighbor Mari. She invited us to come over for cake for her brother's birthday. Mariko and I were free so we went on over.
So we come in and there is blaring Latino music playing and tons of people walking around. Needless to say we both stood out. However it turned out to be a fun time. Anyway, we were going toward the kitchen for this said cake, and instead this nice old lady tells us to sit in Spanish. Next thing we know, she puts in front of Mariko a big plate full of food- BBQ chicken, skirt steak, rice and beans. I tried to tell her that we already ate but Mariko said "Don't, it would be rude." So the plan was that we were going to share. But a second later, she came out with another plate, this time it was placed in front of me. So the daunting task of eating dinner when we were already full. Luckily there were some cool young people there and we talked for a while about politics, Lord of the Rings and how America needs to get off its lazy butt and do something. I ate really slow, so it took me a good hour to finish off the food. I did it, but of course I wasn't feeling to hot after that.
Sunday, Jessica's mom was in town and she decided to cook Thanksgiving dinner for us. So we got everything- turkey, gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean cassorole and pumpkin pie. So I'm quite full for that.
Yeah I think I gained five pounds. But luckily though I ran three times this weekend, so I think there is some compensation!
*** the neighborhood greatness I had a great weekend in terms of getting to know my neighbors better. I had coffee with my neighbor Nerida, who lives down the street on Saturday and went running with Hazel on Sunday. I also met some new neighbors while walking around on Sat.
The more I develop relationships with my neighbors here, the more I realize how much we put limits on people if they don't fit a certain mold. Yes, there are things we can't control, but the one thing that doesn't change is greatness.
I believe God created everyone with such greatness. A greatness that wouled enable them not only to live a life that is "just enough" but rather a life of abudnance, that is flourishing. The problem is that most people in my neighborhood have a "survival" mentality. They only think about what they need to do to just survive. Life is about going from job to job. Living from paycheck to paycheck just to have enough.
I see that in both in Nerida and in Hazel. These two awesome women have so much promise. Nerida loves to learn about different cultures and wants to travel. But she is set back by the mistakes that she made and the limitations of not having her high school dipolma. Hazel is has a quality of entreperneruship, but yet is depending on the government to pay the bills.
I certainly can't magically change their situation. I can't magically provide good jobs and health care and all those other big ticket things. But what I can provide is the love of God. Let them know that I'm not going to sell them short like others in their life has. Let them know that life is more about surviving, but about tapping the greatness that is already there.

posted by mai @ 3:31 PM