Time Is Almost Up

It is said that Dr. Theodor Seuss Geisel once wrote:

"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened."



I must remember this quote as my time here in PV is drawing to a close. I return home on December 20th, 10 days from now. I know I will have tears of sadness in my eyes when the plane takes off from Puerto Vallarta because I will miss my life here; I will also have tears of happiness in my eyes when the plane lands in Atlanta because I will be delighted to be with my family and friends again.

There have been many stressful times and many struggles to overcome but overall the experiences that I have had here have been positive. I made friends, learned first-hand about everyday living in Mexico, and experienced the traditions and culture which I had studied about in books. I hope that I was able to touch the lives of some of the children whom I served while teaching here.

The love, prayers, encouragement and support (both moral and financial) of my family and friends has made a huge difference in my ability to live here and to help improve the lives of the children in PV. I, and they, will be forever grateful.

In the meanwhile, I am making the most of my final days here. Last Friday I returned to "my class" at the Colegio Mexico-Americano to make Christmas cards with them for their parents. I had taken photos of each child and told them that we would make a card for their parents. They decorated red or green paper and pasted their picture in the card. A special treat of a candy cane with a Santa, Rudolph or a Christmas tree hanging from it and a brand new pencil (thank you, Beth, for the pencil donation) made them smile. They were happy to see me and I to see them!

I continue to meet with the English teachers. Tomorrow night we will make a video to send to their "sister school" in Milwaukee. Each teacher will introduce herself (in English) and tell a little about her professional and personal life. They are nervous about it but they have practiced and will do fine!

I have plans to see each friend for a good-bye visit and I still look forward to participating in the Guadalupe day on the 12th and a Christmas Posada before I leave. And then there are suitcases to pack!!! (Perish the thought! Can I get everything into 2 suitcases??!!)

Don't worry...there will still be more posts on my blog before I leave! I hope that you have enjoyed, and perhaps learned a little bit, about the Mexican culture from my posts on the blog. I have certainly appreciated your comments and emails encouraging me to keep up the writing and pictures. What will I write about when I get home???

For years I have enjoyed the cards and calendars by an artist named Flavia Weedn. She draws such sweet pictures and always has the perfect saying to accompany her pictures. She said this:

"Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for a while, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same."

This sums up my experiences with the Mexican people.

Hasta luego.