Growing up in El Salvador in the middle of a civil war had its challenges, but among the chaos was a glimpse of happiness and an unforgettable childhood.
I grew up with my brother and among many cousins and surrounded by many relatives. We played among the mango trees and climbed every fruit tree we could find to get our snacks. We ran around for hours, often just in our underwear and crawling in the dirt without a care. When thirsty, we would go get water from either the cántaro (a clay water container that amazingly kept the water nice and cool in the tropical heat) or from the well. Hours upon hours were spent climbing the aceituna, maranon, mamon, mango, and jocote trees. We were out there what seemed all day laughing and playing games of our own making. The singing of birds and the sound of the nearby ocean was accompanied by the sounds of our laughter. When hungry, we would go get lunch and my personal favorite was a hot tortilla slathered in aceite the cerdo (pork fat, I know sounds gross but don’t judge until you tried it) with a little bit of sea salt. I remember my mom and abuelita making these delicious treats for us kids. My mouth waters even now as I think of these tortillas!
It was in my teen years that I was giving more responsibilities by my mom and dad and I was forced to mature a lot sooner and it is then I started understanding the reality of the life I was living. Looking back now I appreciate everything my family did to shelter all the kids from what was truly happening all around us.
In the past several days I have had the luxury of spending some quality time with my beautiful family while on vacation. It is not often I get to do this and not often enough to hear their conversations and laughter. In watching them I cannot help but notice the similarities of my brothers and I upbringing, albeit in different environments. When I sit down and listen to their stories and share in their laughter I count my blessings for they add purpose to my life. Their joy reminds me of my childhood, my beautiful extended family, my Blanco Tribe who endure a lot to get to where we are today. They also remind me of what’s important and that time is limited in this world. As they grow, they have a different outlook in life, as they mature they tend to ask deeper questions and more and more as a parent I cannot brush their questions with a simple answer; some require a deeper analysis and provide a learning opportunity.
Life is full of challenges and we live in a busy world constantly asking for our attention. In this regard, we tend to devote our time to the world while sacrificing some very important things including family, religion, and self reflection. In a world surrounded by noise, never ending negative chatter, and constant challenges to humanity, I welcome the innocent laughter of my boys for they remind me that this level of happiness should be enjoyed at their young age and that I should always remember to let them live their childhood. Soon they will grow up and I hope, like me, they can recall their beautiful memories.
