all images and stories are the property of Catherine Beerda-Basso and are not to be used without given permission...thank you

Wednesday 18 July 2012

Back to Colombia...

Jorge
(Seeds of Love and Hope International Society's president) 
and his family
left at the beginning of the week
 to go for a family visit
and to spend some time up at the centre


my heart went with them...


I think about our last day there


the broken hearts
the tears


I think about this young woman
she had been a permanent fixture in my "hair studio"
her and her beautiful daughter
she became a mother at 15
she was now 18
and living day to day on the hill side
no apparent future...
maybe a hairstylist?
*
this last day
she sought me out
to give me a gift
and with tears streaming down her cheeks
she slipped a bracelet on my wrist
it still brings tears to my eyes to think of it
I hadn't talk to her a lot
but she was there everyday
and everyday 
I greeted her with my limited spanish
and was happy to have her there...
I had no idea
how my being there had affected her
till that afternoon
when she found me in the storage room
we embraced
we shared tears
and I held her close
I felt her heart beat against mine


there were others
I came home bejewelled


trinkets
wrist bands
childhood beads


gifts I treasure
wear with pride
knowing the deep meaning of each
remembering the face of each who gave


and so
as Jorge went back
gifts from my heart went with
small tokens
to remind
that in the absence
the love remains
never
that far away
*
I leave you with these visuals
and

sometimes my lovelies
we need to go back
to where a piece of our heart remains
Where does a piece of your heart remain?

Love and Light

(for more on my pilgrimage to Colombia go here)

7 comments:

  1. Near where you live;) this was lovely and my heart is with yours. When are you going back? What did you send? Whatever it is I know it will be treasured forever;) you have a good heart Cat. I'm honored to know you. And I understand that a piece if your heart is lost and I feel for you and the soils involved. That is always brutal beautiful;)
    Love

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I meant "of" and "souls"
      Silly iPhone;)

      Delete
  2. This is not the end of your soulful time with jorge and all the memories you hold in your heart. All of them, they feel enriched too, knowing you, and all the love and light that surrounds you, wherever you go, Miss Cat. Sweet, to the heart, pics and bracelets for remembering. Yer one lucky lady.

    ReplyDelete
  3. After reading your post I am reminded of many such moments when I had to leave or someone very close to me had to leave and we missed each other...and even now, I know of so many relationships , although not blood relatives but acquaintances we meet due to work or business...our apartment's security guard, the lady who sells flower down the street, even the half mad person who sings near my flat...I am aware ..one day my husband will be transferred to another city and the bond that I formed with them will be there but those warm conversations, making food for them,those pleasant glances,smiling faces, and time spend together..will be deeply missed.

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  4. you are so very brave. to see this upclose and in your face, unable to flip the page or x the screen.. you have seen how part of the world lives and how humbling that has to be. you gave the gift of you and got the gifts back. i don't know that i could be as brave as you, facing this kind of life, this personally. i admire you so much for not just talking about it but living it and loving it and honouring it all and the people who live there in the only way they can given the circumstances they were born into. I love how you love, sister. xo

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wow, that is so beautiful - the photos of those Bracelets gave me a lump in my throat Cat!
    x

    ReplyDelete
  6. What a beautiful post
    I sat today next to where a part of my heart is where a part of my heart died
    The bracelets are gorgeous - my husband and I had a similar thing happen to us in Bali where a man slipped off his wedding ring and gave it to my husband - "look after my NZ sister" - he said . . .

    ReplyDelete

Your voice is welcome here, your connection appreciated. Love and Light