Sunday, October 1, 2023

Refugees Family

Hola todos ☀️

As much as I would love to start this post with my love words to the country, that makes my heart smile and always makes me feel completely at home, I have another story to share. My love ode to Mexico gonna have to wait until the next post.

Today I started my bus trip from the city of Oaxaca to the city of Mexico. 6 hours trip, that is relatively close and comfy ride in the bus.

I was in a quite small bus station but we were quite many. Lots of people looked from other countries than Mexico and I quickly realized that most of them are refugees searching for new home to be living in peace.

I took my ukulele and started singing few songs while waiting for the bus because sometimes music is the best medicine. Few of them listened, smiled and continued their journeys.

When my bus arrived, I got in and in my seat there was sitting a man. I kindly showed my ticket with my seat on and then after a little conversation we swaped our seats as he wanted to sit next to his wife and it happened to be my seat. (Don't ask 🙈 here in Mexico from my experience they really care about the seat numbers !)

I love observing people, more like the behaviour rather than actual looks and I quickly got to like them. They seem a young quite sweet couple with 2 really friendly beautiful kids, maybe 7 or 8 years old.

We exchanged few words during the trip wondering about the next stops for our toilet breaks and so on. 

And the more I was observing them, the more I could feel them. I realized they were not from Mexico.

As we stopped in one of our toilet break stops, the guy asked me where I am from and knowing how rarely people actually know Lithuania here I just said Europe. I asked the same and he answered 'we are from Venezuela'. And then I understood what I was feeling.

They were refugees travelling all the way to the United States to get some peaceful life for their family. My heart broke and I could sense my tears coming.

We didn't talk much but I was really observing them from time to time. I found them so beautifully friendly, kind and funny to one another.

At the end of my trip I asked them more and the answers they gave me completely broke my heart.

They have been travelling for a whole month, taking different buses and sleeping at the bus stations on the floor with cardboard. A young woman, a man and 2 beautiful kids. And tomorrow they are taking another bus taking them to United States border.

They have nobody at the States, no place to sleep, no friend to give them job, nothing. They are making this whole trip to find a better life for their family and who even knows if they can enter.

This story shook me strongly so I gave away a big bag of some home made chocolates so the kids can enjoy and wished them luck.

But as I was walking away I had an urge to go back and just give them some money. A little something but at least to cover their food for the day.

The woman was so happy, she gave me this incredible hug that broke my heart. I felt so sad for them but was deeply praying the Universe to help them out. I felt like they were my family.

I choose to travel, I choose to sleep on the beaches from time to tome, have adventures. I have warm hostel bed, vegan food in my belly, I have friends around, language skills to move around, I have a job I love that pays me well and these people are crossing thousands of miles without even knowing what is there for them in USA.

I didn't grow up with money or in a luxury privilege but somehow I reached the state now where I am completely abundant.

And I complain sometimes that I didn't sleep well or mosquitos are biting me or whatever other white privileged girl may complain about.

This beautiful family is just a tiny little drop in the sea of refugees nowadays.

When we pass people that we think they might need some help, let's not turn away. We never know the stories, we never know why that drug addict homeless soul is there on the street. We don't know the suffering of another but we are always capable to share something.

And it doesn't have to be money, sometimes it is just an honest smile or an eye contact that may make another feel some kind of hope in this life.

I pray to the Universe to shower abundance to all of us, so we don't need to run away from our homes, so we have healthy food in our stomachs, roofs over heads, jobs we like and that feeling of belonging, and harmony within.

My heart is with that family that is now sleeping on the cardboard while I am writing this blog post, showered and ready to sleep in my bed.

😢