Frame of Mind
We were in bed my wife and I, cozy, lazily reading, each our book. Rain began to sound louder and louder. The wind grew intensely, from whistle to roar. Our Young daughter suddenly yelled from her bed; I am scared! may I go to your bed? We agreed of course, but by the time she arrived, we were all worried. When you live by the sea storms are a frequent occurrence, so as a family we have established a routine to prevent damage by water, wind and thunder. I asked each one to do their respective tasks. My daughter ran to disconnect computers and electronic appliances, my wife tightly closed all windows and doors, my sister in law took care of outside articles and shut off the gas; I closed a large awning and secured it with a line to keep it from flying away. While we went about doing these things the squall grew in strength and noise.
Back in the bedroom we now had to yell to hear each other. My daughter reported: I already disconnected everything, what else can we do? I am still scared! Finding the right answer was difficult, because there was nothing else we could really do. I was aware that, in our minds, the Haiti tragedy was still present, and we all knew about the power wind can reach on the coast. In our frame of mind, the possibility of losing our home or even our life became quite real. My daughter was trusting in my leadership; I couldn´t just answer with a childish lie to sooth her freight. Keeping calm was important, but truth had to be said. What can we do? -lets pray! I answered, and I asked everyone to kneel down with me. As we all bent our knees my wife began a prayer that soon brought us peace. There was nothing else we could do. It was the best solution and the only one. Actually, mixed with freight and awe there was beauty and freedom found in prayer.
Once the storm passed we went about assessing damage, calling relatives and friends, advising boat owners about to come check their craft and finally we listened to the news from other marinas in the VHF radio. Nothing serious happened to us, except for broken planters rolled down by the wind.
Early in the morning I noticed a mango tree which I had planted eight years ago was leaning over my truck without yet touching it. I had planted this tree to replace one that then fell after another storm. I moved my truck around to the other side of the tree and after cutting off the heavier foliage branches I tied a line from the trunk to the truck. With the help of two friends the tree was pulled back in place and a heavy piece of wood will keep it in place until the soil becomes hard again and the roots recover. This scene brought back old memories, vividly. I remembered my mother one night, asking all the family to kneel down in the garden and pray, while Mexico City suffered one of its worst earthquakes. The memory stayed in my mind, the way this new experience will probably stay in my daughter’s recollection.
As I picked up the braches I cut off the mango tree I found a bird’s nest attached to one of them. The nest was tightly knit with a strong, even material. Poor little homeless bird, I thought. Its fate could have well been ours, as had been of so many. I considered the frame of mind we reach only on occasion of imminent danger: it unveils for us the reality of how fragile we really are. Such reality as we disguise by worldly distraction, forgetting our existence remains at all times in God’s hands. I saved the nest the nest to share my thought with my daughter… and with you all.
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Federico León de La Vega
E-mail: fleondelavega@prodigy.net.mx
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Author Note: This is a chapter of a book I am writing about my adventures as a painter artist.
The Federico León de la Vega Estudo – Café is open to the public and is located in Paseo de la Marina 31, Nuevo Vallarta, Nayarit. Opening hours are Monday to Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Sundays from 8:00 to 11:00 a.m.
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