Mothers

Today's post is obviously about mothers.  I have been doing a lot of people watching lately on the bus, in the stores and on the streets.  Here many mothers literally carry the weight of the family on their backs.  I have seen many mothers walking the streets, working in stores, cooking, cleaning and working in the fields with their baby or toddler tied to their backs with a sheet.  I have seen mothers and even older ladies with huge sacks of rice or corn on their backs or crates full of fruit and vegetables walking back from the store.  Our host mother does most of the cooking, cleaning and shopping for the family.  Not to say the men don't work hard, because believe me they are literally work horses, evidenced in the fields, buses, stores and especially with the men building a patio cover at our host family's house, but tonight's post is about mothers.  The women of Ecuador are amazing.  They seem to work hard all day and never tire and smile most of the time.  They don't seem to get angry with their children, and they tend to their needs in an instant.  On the bus I have seen so many nurturing women and they often give up their seat so the kids and I and other mothers can have a seat.  They help the kids and I get onto the bus often too.  I cannot say enough good things about these women.  The biggest things I have seen though is the amount of time these women spend with their children and enjoy it.  Walking slowly and talking, playing and soothing and just being with their kids.  This is the first time in my life that I have been able to spend this extended amount of time with my kids and I am taking notes from the Ecuadorian women and trying to slow down and savor these precious times.  My mother was able to stay home with us when we were kids and I remember loving to go to Shoup park or to John Bryan park or to Idle Hour and just spending the day playing with my mom.  I also remember my mom saying she did not like when school started again because that meant our summer fun time was gone.  I didn't realize how lucky I was until I didn't have that time with my own children for a while and then was able to stay home with my kids in Alabama and now in Ecuador.  I am blessed to have such amazing role models here and at home in Ohio.  Thank you mom for worrying about us, but we are in great hands.  My lesson from the day is to slow down and enjoy my family every day, which is not hard to do if you have ever walked anywhere with Lucas.  He knows how to move slow and take it all in, asking a thousand questions and really soaking up what you say.  That is one of his precious gifts.

On a side note, I wanted to tell this sweet story about Melayna today.  The host father walked by Melayna tonight and rubbed her head on his way out, and as he walked away Melayna said, "I think he likes me!"  Got to love her.