Back in Nicaragua...

So I have arrived in Nicaragua. The weather is warm; the days lazy and relaxing. Each day passes so slow. People travel up and down the street in front of our house. They are buying tortillas and vegetables, firewood and sodas. The goal for today is to eat, drink and be happy; such a simple and lovely life. There is no pressure, there is no race. The people hang out with their neighbors and chat about the latest gossip… the soap opera from the night before, the family, the gringo who is town. The cat crawls into a shady plant in a pot and escapes the fierce sun. There is a steady breeze that blows through town that keeps the heat manageable.

Tomorrow is Easter. Last night the local neighborhood put together a makeshift outdoor movie theatre. They were watching a religious movie under the stars. The neighborhood kids were perched on a nearby wall and others pulled out their chairs in front of the screen of white sheets. Religion (Catholicism) is very deep rooted in Nicaragua. Tomorrow there will be parades and mass and religious gatherings. There will be fireworks and celebrations throughout the day and night. Nicaragua actually celebrates Easter all week called Semana Santa or The Week of the Saints. Thousands will go to the beaches to escape the heat. Others build pools in the ground to use for just this one week of the year. Others will make specials meals and gather family and friends together to celebrate the life, death and rebirth of Christ.

Coming to Nicaragua during this time of year allows me to reflect on the true meaning of this special occasion. At times in the States, we get wrapped up in the commercial aspect of Easter and the holiday becomes a way to make the kids happy with egg hunts, gifts and chocolate while the underlying meaning gets clouded and mostly lost. Hopefully, I can find a way to bridge these two aspects of this holiday with my own children. I want them to understand why we really celebrate Easter. We’ll see. ..

A child sips soup from a bowl, banana trees flutter in the wind. A blackbird soars overhead, searching… A rooster crows in the distance as a goat slowly struts down the rocky dirt road to my left. A mango tree now follows the sway of the banana tree… soon the fruit will be ripe. No hurry. A cowboy trots down the dusty road, cigar in mouth.

A group of children pass holding hands. Ah the innocence of Nicaragua. No hurry, no destinations, no timetable. Only the passage of a day, a week a month….