Ensenada Travels & Insights

Over the long weekend I was able to visit Ensenada and spend sometime with some of my mom's family, my aunt, the one that shares the same birthday as my mom only plus fifteen years.  She's the sweetest woman who loves hugs as much as I do, all my memories of her include her arms wide open and kisses galore...  

It always shocks me how a five-hour drive south into Mexico reflects such a  difference in lifestyle, where social injustice and poverty are so visible.  Stray, malnourished dogs walking the streets in hopes of finding food, people on corners asking for alms, old people with bent backs still working for sustenance, and small children with dirty faces selling gum packets.  These sights usually depress me even when I mentally prepare myself ahead of time.  This time, however, I saw hope in the many faces of poverty.  I thought of Pope Francis and how he encourages us to see the person behind every social ill - a life worthy of God.  Our society sees the value of the person based on what that person is able to contribute usually his profession, but God tells us that we all have the same God given dignity.  Our value doesn't depend on our talents, but in the fundamental principle that we are all created in the image and likeness of God.  

In a perfect world we would all feel pain when we see one of our brothers suffering.  As I got into a taxi cab, a man in crutches asked me for alms and as I gave him a few pesos the cab driver said, "many of these people, fake an illness to make money."  Unfortunately, that's a prevalent opinion by many, that the poor are untrustworthy or poor because they choose that lifestyle.  My mom has this great practice where she constantly asks God to place before her people He wants her to help and without an examination of whether a person deserves her help or not she helps.  Based on her example, I see that our responsibility is to help not to judge.  

I had a wonderful trip with lots of family time.  I got to play with my aunt's pets and even if they have a humbler life than my Dollar they are happy to have a home.  My aunt too lives quite humbly, but with a heart rich in love.  While we were there we spoiled her rotten and she was so joyful mostly because of our company.  Yet, as I spent five hours commuting back I realized that I want a simpler life.  I can be quite materialistic in my spending and have acquired quite a lot of stuff.  After this trip, I realize that I don't need to have so much stuff to be happy.  That's going to be a new challenge to work on owning less and to not shop as often.  As I simplify my life, I want to take you on this journey in case you too have similar issues.