How to erase from my thoughts the slither of the multi-colored snakes in the
forest where I learned to share with them this place -- our Earth! How
can I forget the songs of the guinee hens, the chachalacas, the seagulls,
the guteral sound of the frogs in the darkness of the night, the flight of the
ciguenas and many, many other birds.
I wish to keep in my soul the memories of the moments when I would go happily
to The Pond to meditate, to feel comfortable under the shadow of the
trees. How can I forget REFUGIO, nest of memories of those who have
gone and contributed to give us life with their smiles, their sadness, their
tears. All of them were in search of happiness, all of them walk on
revolutionary paths. How can I forget the tents, the water irrigating the vegetables
and then filling the Big Pond. Who can be indifferent to the storage
room for the food and other materials, to the kitchen where we sweat
immensely, cooking our daily meals: the beans and rice we shared
with our "compañeros," our friends.
How can I complain, if when I found REFUGIO I found a school
that taught me how to love more my wife, my daughter, Ixmucane, my
country (this wide and beautiful continent), humanity, God. The God
of justice not the invented one. REFUGIO is not a simple place where
to find food to eat and a place where to sleep, and pass the time.
Here I was governed by my friends, whom I respected, who respected me.
Here we did what we did with consideration,
affection, love. Together we tried to create a model society with
dignity for all. How to forget the mosaic of the Central American
values at REFUGIO. We ended racism, social differences, and the
stupid human prejudices.
I always wanted to write this: in REFUGIO DEL RIO GRANDE there is
life. Good life. Life of love and peace.