I am little by little learning why I am here and what it means to our community. My first friend here, Eva, is a 16 year old, beautiful young lady who came to greet me at the bus station when I arrived from El Salvador. Like some many of our friends, her life has had more than its fair share of heart ache, yet she is constantly laughing and joking with us. She is possibly the most frequent visitor to our house and love to help. She like to accompany us when we go to the market and washes dishes that are not hers as if it were something she enjoyed (without being asked).
She craves friendship and love. She needs affirmation. She is often very easy to love and very helpful. But as a teenager, she has a rebellious streak as well.
When I think about what we “do”, she comes to mind. For our neighbors, we are their support system, we are their first recourse in times of trouble. We clean wounds and we give food. We receive donations only to give them to someone who needs them more. We are companions for the family Christmas dinner, to the wedding of a child, for the death of a child and for a trip to the doctor. When a baby is sick, we receive a knock on our door (or a jingle of the lock). When a grandchild leaves to work in Spain, we are a shoulder to cry on. And when a story needs to be told, we listen.
When Eva had a dance recital and received a set number of tickets, she wanted us to be there. And we were. Eva dances in a high school troupe which performs traditional Honduran dances. She dances well and loves it. The day after the recital, she called us early in the morning. That day we accompanied her to the doctor where she received three stitches. For the next week, each day we applied her ointment.
What do I do? That depends, on the day, the moment, on the friend who appears on my doorstep.
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