TRANQUILLA

Davie getting ready for the surf. He is the loudest person I have ever met... and that includes my family wrapped into one person.

Off to serve! This here is an artist he draws the most beautiful things for me.

The boys and me watching the high tide.

We climbed trees for cocnuts today...soooo good!

Baby Kaylor.

            Today marks one week in Costa Rica and if anything else the phrase that the boy’s use down at el Rio pretty much sums up my biggest lesson. If we are hanging out and the gringo American freaks out for nothing, someone is bound to say tranquilla tranquilla. The phrase means more than just calm down most often it is accompanied by a look that says trust me on this one. 

            I think after week one, trust is the most beautiful thing I have seen with my new friends. The kids trust that everyday I will be at el Rio and play with them for a solid two hours. Afterwards, the older boys trust that I will be waiting at the house with a camera in hand so that they can surf and be photographed. It all means a whole lot more than just being there for someone else though. Costa Rica does everything slow (except driving). When you are at a restaurant, after you finish, it can take up to forty minutes before someone actually brings your bill. If you say to meet up at two, you really mean 4:30 because on the way from your house to the store, it is necessary to talk to every single person you know and introduce yourself to the ones that you don’t.

            The last two days I have been spending a lot of time with the boys that are my age. There are not very many girls my age because they are usually mothers already but the boys get to hold on to their childhood a little while longer. Today, the older boys even came into the Rancho while I was coloring with the younger ones and helped out. While we were there, one of the youngest children, Kaylor, fell and hit himself pretty hard. He looked up to see David, a fifteen-year-old cousin and expected consolation. Instead, David yelled for him to get up and stop crying.

            It was at that moment that I realized I knew why I was here. I had struggled with the parents a few days ago as hopelessness took over my body and I had to watch Tito be hit by his mother. But, with the boys that are my age, I have a chance to change the way they view the world for the better. I jumped between David and Kaylor and held Kaylor close in my arms. I gave him kisses and hugs until he fell asleep and was content. Then, I turned to David and told him that Kaylor was a baby and that babies don’t need to be yelled at to understand what you want them to hear. Everyone needs love I said; especially the little guys.

            It is very likely that in the next two to five years, David will be a dad. If I can teach anyone anything while I am here I hope that it is how to stop the cycle of abuse by simply showing the power of love. The kids do not know any other way but to hit their children if they are bad, and ignore them if they are quiet. If, the teenage boys get a chance to see what it means to show affection than perhaps they can carry that out in their own lives.

            After playing en el Rio for a few hours, the older boys and I made our way down to the beach to watch the waves. Today the waves were so big that there weren’t even surfers on the water. The tide came all the way to the steps of the house; it was crazy. We made plans to hike on Sunday in the mountains with the white monkeys and the boys climbed up into the trees and knocked coconuts down for us to eat. I feel a closeness with these boys that I know can make a difference. It feels good to finally know that I am not just here for a month that will be forgotten by the children. I finally feel like I know the first step towards making a difference—their names are David, Reynaldo, y Ehrnesto.

p.s. Today Tito was the friendliest person en el Rio; magic is happening!