It has been a while since I have posted a blog and so I thought it would be a good time to take some time and reflect and then share one of those reflections. And the first thing that came to my mind is Anais. Anais is a seven year old adorable/beautiful/spunky/center of attention/patient/generous/won't let me sit there in peace/singer-dancer little girl. And of everyone that I have met down here, I think Anais is the one who has helped me, taught me, and reminded me of all the places where I can find the face of Jesus.
That top picture is the first gift that she ever gave me. It was the first time I met her and her family, and I went over to their house after mass. I was a little nervous because they spoke no English, I was not confident with my Spanish skills, and this was my first time really spending time with a Chilean family, and yet there I was sitting in their living room while Janette and Victor put together once for us to eat. Anais was so excited to have me there--she was bouncing all over the place; showing me her Monster High markers, her Violetta notebook, her beading jewelry kit, and her favorite little plastic dog. (She loves dogs but doesn't have one). We sat there and made jewelry for each other and for her little perrito before the food was ready. At the end of the night, Anais gave me that little toy with its brand new collar. I, a little stunned, took her favorite toy and could not find the words to explain what it meant to me and how I would treasure it forever. The perrito now sits on my dresser and every time that I come into or leave my room I see it. It reminds me of generosity, of kindness, and of Anais' beautiful approach to the world.
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I normally see Anais at school every day. Sometimes I will catch her eating lunch, but normally it is later in the afternoon during a recreo when she is sitting in the steps close to the gym holding court with her friends. She will give me a regal wave and shout "Vero" and I am summoned over. The other little first graders are always in awe as I sit down and she tells me about something she learned that day or shows me a new toy she has found. She never fails to brighten my day.
She likes to have me do her hair the way I have my hair done for that day--the timing is never right, either we are in the car or in the middle of the consecration at mass or the bell has run for class--but I quickly braid/ponytail/twist/bun her chin-length hair. And then I will hear her explain to everyone she sees for the rest of the day that her hair was done by Vero, who is a gringa, and now she and I are gemelas (twins). I like giving her little presents: a princess notepad, the vegetarian stew, Halloween hair ties, street chalk, cookies I baked, because of the manner in which she receives them. You would think I was giving her the moon by the way her entire face lights up, the shy smile that creeps up, then the hug and besito she bestows upon me, and the super-accented English "thank you" she says.
She also gives me presents. She painted my face during mass once with the face paint she snuck into church. She gave me a glow-in-the-dark bracelet that she won in a competition at school. She gave me a friendship contract that she created so that we would always be friends. She gave me a cardboard house that she made for her favorite perrito that she gave to me in the end of August. She also gave me Spanish lessons, where she would explain something slowly so that I could understand or where she created worksheets with important vocabulary words or where she would repeat some word I didn't know over and over again umtil I could say it correctly or where she would explain some word that I didn't know so I would understand what was going on. She gave me a place in the choir on Sunday evenings with her and her dad, and then she gave me singing lessons (more often than not in the middle of mass) so that I would know the songs. She gave me a friendship continually reminds me that I am loved in the new place.
The gift of Anais is something that leaves me breathless with gratitude at being on the recieiving end of such love. She has reminded me, and continues to remind me, of what it means to be a child of God and how to love, accept, and treat the people who come into our lives.
(Anais make quick work of 3 donuts :))
