Today is Mother's Day, both in Canada and in Mexico. I was at the dog refuge today, but on the way there and back, we saw people selling flowers by the roadside, bouquet size to match perhaps budget, perhaps proclamation of adoration.
In spite of the orders to stay at home, the cake shop had a lineup around the corner, people eager to but Mama her favorite cake.
Mexico's relationship with mothers is so intertwined with interesting female figures in history. The Virgin of Guadalupe, of course, gets first place. La Madre, the one who protects us all. In every church across Latin America, from a side chapel to a figurine to an entire building dedicated to Guadalupe. There is also Oaxaca's Patron Saint, the Virgin of Soledad, and of course, our little Virgin of Juquila. You get the idea. Church. Virgins. Mothers.
Second place would have to be La Malinche, who is seen locally as a traitor to her people. She was key to helping the Spanish conquer the local people, was a slave to Cortes and as far as a mother figure goes, well, let's just say she was a cunning linguist who used her charms to serve herself very well. Likely not the sort of girl you would be bringing home to Sunday dinner.
Third. La Llorona. Songs are written about her. Stories told to children. Her husband loved her sons more than he lover her. She found him cheating, drowned the sons and was then cursed to find her sons before she would be let into heaven. Evidently she steals children in the night and tried to pass them off as her own. Not sure if the moral of that story is don't drown the children or watch your own. Either way, the cheated on and tortured mother is a great mother figure of Mexican history, telenovelas and village gossip.
Ralph made me a wonderful mother's day dinner and I am not really a mother. I am a step-mom to Alison and Cameron, but he said the fettuccine Alfredo with shrimp was from the dogs. I accepted graciously.
When I got home I called my Mom and wished her a Happy Mother's Day. She never ages, not her voice or her attitude, not her pretty face and certainly not her spirit. She was no Virgin of Guadalupe, but she protected my sister and I from a lot. She's not a cunning linguist, but she made sure we were both educated and interested humans. And thankfully, she didn't have a reason to drown us and as far as I know, does not steal children. Happy Mother's Day! The two pictures are 15 years apart at my and my sister's weddings.
In spite of the orders to stay at home, the cake shop had a lineup around the corner, people eager to but Mama her favorite cake.
Mexico's relationship with mothers is so intertwined with interesting female figures in history. The Virgin of Guadalupe, of course, gets first place. La Madre, the one who protects us all. In every church across Latin America, from a side chapel to a figurine to an entire building dedicated to Guadalupe. There is also Oaxaca's Patron Saint, the Virgin of Soledad, and of course, our little Virgin of Juquila. You get the idea. Church. Virgins. Mothers.
Second place would have to be La Malinche, who is seen locally as a traitor to her people. She was key to helping the Spanish conquer the local people, was a slave to Cortes and as far as a mother figure goes, well, let's just say she was a cunning linguist who used her charms to serve herself very well. Likely not the sort of girl you would be bringing home to Sunday dinner.
Third. La Llorona. Songs are written about her. Stories told to children. Her husband loved her sons more than he lover her. She found him cheating, drowned the sons and was then cursed to find her sons before she would be let into heaven. Evidently she steals children in the night and tried to pass them off as her own. Not sure if the moral of that story is don't drown the children or watch your own. Either way, the cheated on and tortured mother is a great mother figure of Mexican history, telenovelas and village gossip.
Ralph made me a wonderful mother's day dinner and I am not really a mother. I am a step-mom to Alison and Cameron, but he said the fettuccine Alfredo with shrimp was from the dogs. I accepted graciously.
When I got home I called my Mom and wished her a Happy Mother's Day. She never ages, not her voice or her attitude, not her pretty face and certainly not her spirit. She was no Virgin of Guadalupe, but she protected my sister and I from a lot. She's not a cunning linguist, but she made sure we were both educated and interested humans. And thankfully, she didn't have a reason to drown us and as far as I know, does not steal children. Happy Mother's Day! The two pictures are 15 years apart at my and my sister's weddings.
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