So for the 4th year since we moved into Casa Ceiba we've celebrated Xmas here. Lucky for us our son Eric is staying here with us for the holidays, or what he refers to as his "kick off training camp". We were happy to know that our daughters, Kristen and Amy were each with their partners at their family homes in Canada. Imagining snowy farm fields in Ontario, and beach strolls on Vancouver Island - I hoped that each had the kind of Xmas that will give their hearts the little "thrill" that Xmases gave me in the past.
Canada is a country that needs Xmas. Just when the days are the darkest and dreariest, and the weather is beginning to show what's ahead, the country is transformed into the Xmas's of Dickens' Christmas Carol, Bing Crosby's White Christmas and Miracle on 34th Street. I grew up with every Xmas being a "white Christmas" and tried to pass along the traditions of home decorating, Xmas baking and entertaining to my kids as our Oak Bay home was the base for many happy Christmases. The happy faces of children who "believed" made the day special for many years.
Xmas's here in Mexico never feel quite "right" . No matter that Mexicans make a big deal of Xmas. There are lights everywhere and it's apparent that a lot of purchasing, gift giving and visitors arrive here in the days leading up to Xmas. Specialty foods are prepared, friends and families have parties together and homes are decorated. But - it's not the same and as usual I had the feeling that it just wasn't Xmas. We had already enjoyed our Xmas dinner, a frozen turkey from Chile (Amy commented hopefully that Chileans might let their turkeys run free) and the usual trimmings on Dec. 21st just prior to Amy and Pat's departure. We had celebrated Hannukah, had a penthouse dinner party and spent a quiet Xmas Eve at home, with a delicioius steak and prawn dinner and the most entertainingly complicated movie "Prestige"...so complex that Eric had to explain the rather shocking end and the "trick" to me.
So yesterday, Xmas Day, Eric and I decided to go for an early swim at La Ropa beach, and Gene headed off to his bike path in Ixtapa. Then after a late morning Xmas brunch, we headed to Troncones to meet up with our good friends Iris and Bob to listen to Jimi Mamou play music at Hacienda Eden, a little jewel of a hotel, restaurant on Manzanillo Bay. Eric and I chose to walk the scenic beach route with Cori who is a huge fan of chasing every sea bird along the way.
At Hacienda Eden, we had planned to eat a light early meal as luckily we had already had the full on Xmas dinner. Mexican restaurants are not known for producing quality food on specialty days and they met our expectations for poor food and poor service by their young staff of smiling, friendly waiters who were completely overwhelmed by the number of persons arriving for Xmas dinner...we were glad we could leave in time to drive the narrow and poorly marked stretch of highway 200 back home before it was fully dark.
So how did I get my "Xmas on" here? I thought back to the number of times I have donated to Xmas charities back in Canada. It was easy, you could donate on line, through workplace hamper drives, school programs or the local food bank....the recipients were usually chosen by a committee or by agencies who held their names anonymously....it made the whole practice of giving to the needy practical, efficient and above all, it means you can do it without ever having to identify yourself or the recipient. I always felt good about doing something for the many unfortunate who haven't been as lucky in life as I have been. I want to acknowledge here, that I've always considered giving to others as sort of an "insurance policy". I thought that by helping others I was, if you will, gaining points to ensure that me and my loved ones would continue to fair well in life. I know life doesn't work that way, but hey, it's kind of like prayer, you do it when you need to and you do it with a sense of hope that it will work.
Here in Zihuatanejo, you don't have to look far to see who the people are who are in need of a gift. So this year we chose to focus on our "family" and " our neighbours" . Doraliz and her 2 sisters came for lunch on Xmas Eve. It was so much fun to take them shopping and watch their faces light up chosing a pinata for their home.
Our neighbours here in Colonia Madera have been greatly affected by the construction project on Calle Adelita this year.
So when we heard that "Dona Isabel" the owner of Casa Isabel, a modest guest house and morning juice bar, had fallen and broken her ankle, and at the same time was unable to earn any income due to the road being impassable...well I went with my gut instinct that she was a person in need. Some of my friends cautioned me that a gift that included money might be an insult, but I thought of how far a local could make a bit of money go and I chose to tuck some away in a carefully written Xmas greeting card. I took a big risk as I don't know if giving money to a neighbour will be accepted in the spirit it was given, will it insult her, will it create an ongoing expectation??? I will find out in the days ahead as I pick my way through the road construction hoping to catch a glimpse of one of my favorite people, a Mexican senior who unlike residents of other countries, receives no government income or subsidy for the loss of income that the road project has created. I hope I didn't offend her. 
No comments:
Post a Comment