State of Mind

Hello,

I thought I wasn't going to do this anymore, but many have urged me on...so here it goes.

Right now I am an American living in another country with my husband and daughter. This is hard and not for the reasons you may think. The only way I can say this is that my beloved country is in a bizarre state with a President chosen by the National Lampoon.  Makes me sad and angry. I also wonder whether we should go back and join the fight? Shouldn't we be showing Myah how to stand up for her rights? Am I letting my friends down? Better yet, am I letting myself down? It's hard to know!

When the Parkland shooting happened, the kids in the USA became frightened to go to school. I felt a sigh of relief that Myah doesn't have to fear going to her school. She is a happy little girl!  We believe that it's our job to give her the best childhood we can. It's one of the reasons we are here in Costa Rica.

Most of my family voted for Trump which is embarrassing. I really don't talk to most of them. They don't understand that voting for someone who is supported by the Nazi Party and White Supremacists is like voting for my husband and daughter to be sent to the gas chambers. They are so disappointing and really always have been with their narrow minds.

Ant-semitism is on the rise in the USA. Jess has dealt with it all his life. But I haven't, and find it incomprehensible in this day an age. Well, look at women, blacks, latinos and asians too! Then there are those of us with a mental illness!!! I'm so tired of classifying human beings! Fear causes so much pain in this world. My tolerance is very low with those who use Jesus's name to justify their hate. I don't know about you, but Jesus's love has never made we want to hate.

I think the lack of self love and self acceptance is what is lacking in these haters. When you feel good about yourself and your life, fear isn't your motivator. Your world view is different. Another thing, when I was a kid, my father instilled pride in our Italian American ancestry. He taught us about the immigrant experience and also about great Italians in history. It gave us a sense of where we came from, but most of all, it give us great pride in our heritage. Something we could feel good about ourselves.

I mention this because it gives you a sense of self. Learning about other nationalities becomes something you welcome. I've always lived in either Black, Latino and Italian neighborhoods. The similarities within cultures are more than what is different. Living in NYC is the best because you really get a sense of what the world is. Diversity is a beautiful thing.

So, here I am in Costa Rica enjoying the beautiful weather and it's beautiful people. Life isn't as stressful as it was in the beginning. Myah loves school and has her friends. This is where I am at.

Love and Peace to All of You!

Chao(Costa Rican Spelling)
Gina