Here I sit in my living room surrounded by snow! Every window completely covered, barely visible to the outside world. This provides me with the opportunity to reflect on my new life since arriving to the Tahoe area six months ago from my tropical island paradise, Puerto Rico.
My husband and I felt it was an appropriate time to broaden our horizons, expand our experiences, and exist in the snow for a while. We uprooted. My daughter had never lived among such tall trees and mystical lake waters. My biggest fear for her was feeling like an outcast as I did during childhood growing up in Connecticut, the daughter of ‘foreigners.’ This new perspective would be the impetus to enlighten my daughter as witness to life in another culture. Moreover, her life skills might alter the common misconceptions others have of ‘non-purebred’ Americans in a positive way.
For some time, I have been intent on writing a letter to the local papers to share my frustrations regarding a (Tahoe City) bar/restaurant incident that transpired over the holidays. I was treated rudely by the bartender of a local establishment because my ID was from outside the 50 states and…dare I say it…I walked in with Spanish-speaking friends and family! (Did I mention it was a Mexican restaurant?)
I am a 37-year old college-educated mother and teacher of your children! I may look younger than my years, but I certainly couldn’t pass for a youthful underage teenager! This incident hurt and humiliated me. It brought me to the point of carrying resentment towards my newly adopted surroundings and neighbors. It made me question how many people carry deep-seated anger toward others of different cultures, languages, and beliefs. It burdened me as I stood in awe of the beauty that enveloped me. I began to doubt the value of raising my daughter here.
This feeling, however, transcended into another experience: I stumbled upon an angel. I can honestly admit that I am not a ‘spiritual’ person. I have always wanted to be yogi-like, but it has never come naturally to me. I have a hard time focusing on a single task, much less meditating on how to be a better person. So to feel that I encountered a celestial friend, well, this really blew me away. He was a tall, soul-piercing, blue-eyed gentleman at a music festival event I recently attended. His mere presence invoked blissful joy and compassion within me: a pure and divine emotion. He probably never even knew that his celestial presence rekindled my sad soul. I was restored with the idealistic faith I carried in my youth; when I truly believed we were on earth to love, care for and share with each other, when the ignorance of others produced more pity than anger, compassion instead of resentment. That night I thought of the bartender with the little heart, but rather than hold on to the negativity he so carelessly threw at me, I thanked the angel who smiled, showered me with kindness, and shared his spirit.
The time that wears away our ideals was restored in this one communal moment for me. I must raise my daughter to beware of those individuals who aim to hurt, yet at the same time encourage her to be the example of empathy. I thank you kind sir, for reminding me that compassion is found in the simplest of circumstances and it does ease the pain inflicted by ignorance and hatred.
~ Monica Caldari, West Shore
