¡Ya Basta! No More Violence!

PUTTING A FACE TO THE VIOLENCE

It's a bad day today.

It's Mother's Day - in Mexico -

and we should be happy. Celebrating!

We are not.

Maria and Mario Paz Garcia

in their restaurant Mario's.

Great food, great service, and really

nice people.

This morning the church bells pealed the

death knell and this couple received notice

that their son - and only child - was among

the 14 or more bodies found stuffed into two vehicles

along the highway connecting Guadalajara

and Lake Chapala.

He and 2 of his friends were playing basketball

on the Ajijic malecón about a week ago when they were

snatched at gunpoint.

No demand was ever uttered.

Abel Paz Encisco was the director of the

Balet Folklorio San Antonio Tlayacapan

and engaged to be married.

Descanse en Paz, Abel.

What a friggin' waste.

A Small Story About Giving May 2012

Here is a small story

that has come to me from

Jack Kornfield

of Spirit Rock Meditation Center

by way of Anne Lamott -

Bird by Bird.

By far, one of my favorite writers.

GIVING

An eight year old boy had a six year old sister

who was dying of leukemia.

His parents explained to him that she needed

a blood transfusion or she would die.

They told him that she needed a donor

and that his blood was probably compatible

to hers.

They asked him if he would be willing to donate

a pint of blood to his sister

as it could be her only chance of living.

He said he would have to think about

it overnight.

The next day he went to his parents

and said he was willing to donate his blood.

They took him to the hospital where he was

placed on a gurney alongside his sister.

The IVs were started and a pint of blood

was withdrawn from the boy and

transfused into his ailing sister.

As the blood dripped into his sister,

the boy lay in silence 

until the doctor came over

to ask him how he was doing.

The boy opened his eyes and said,

"How soon until I start to die?"