Sometimes Battles are Fought (and Won!) Just by BEING…

This past week’s nomination of Sonia Sotomayor for the position of U.S. Supreme Court justice has given me chills.  It is so exciting to think of a LATINA in such a position.

And while I know that so many people have had a part in making this opportunity possible for a Latina – there have been layers upon layers of work on social justice issues that have prepared history for this moment – I also know that part of this victory is the fact that Judge Sotomayor simply did her job (and a darn good one at that!), and allowed herself to simply BE the best she could.

Isn’t it a blessing that so many have fought and won battles before so that some of us can now simply BE what we were meant to be and that that is enough?

Sometimes battles aren’t about DOING anything other than what you would normally do, and being just simply who you are.  By being the best mother, daughter, sister, friend, lover, worker, student you can be, you win the biggest battle of all – the battle to BE yourself.

So this week while we rally around this amazing woman who will be a marker for many of us of what it is now POSSIBLE for a Latina to achieve, we can revel in the comfort that – while we still have a long way to go – we can celebrate simply BEING who we are and all the various kinds of Latina that is for each of us.  And know that sometimes, we can win the battles just by relaxing into who we are.

Sonia, we as your Latina sisters, are so proud of you and support and honor this amazing moment for you.  And we also hold this moment close as a victory for each one of us.

By simply BEING the best judge, jurist, lawyer and wise woman you can be, you have opened up the doors for each of us and we celebrate with you as you get ready to step into this historic position.

So, my Latina friends, know that La Guerrillera is safe within each of you to use her when you need to, and also allow yourself to just BE and win the battle of being the true YOU!

Brigadier General Angie Salinas

Brigadier General Angie Salinas began her military career when she enlisted into the Marine Corps in May 1974.  Following recruit training at Parris Island, S.C., she served as a legal services clerk until 1977 when she was selected for the Enlisted Commissioning Program and commissioned a second lieutenant in December 1977.

>>  I’ll be speaking with the Brigadier General about what drew her to the military initially.

She has commanded at every rank and has served as Series Commander, Woman Recruit Training Command, Parris Island, South Carolina, Commanding Officer, Headquarters and Service Company, 1st Maintenance Battalion, Camp Pendleton, CA, Commanding Officer, Recruiting Station Charleston, West Virginia, Commanding Officer, 4th Recruit Training Battalion and Commanding Officer, 12th Marine Corps District, San Diego, CA.

>>  What has she learned from her different positions, and what can she tell us about her career development?

She served in a variety of staff positions throughout the Marine Corps serving as a legal officer with the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing at Cherry Point, N.C. Executive Officer Headquarters Company and Battalion Operations Officer, Woman Recruit Training Battalion; Adjutant, 3rd Maintenance Battalion, Okinawa Japan, Adjutant, 1st Maintenance Battalion, Camp Pendleton, Executive Officer, Recruiting Station West Virginia, Major’s Combat Service Support Ground Monitor, Deputy, Special Assistant for General/Flag Officer Matters, Joint Staff, Assistant Chief of Staff, Plans and Policy, G-5, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Depot Inspector Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, CA,  Operations Officer, Marine Corps Recruiting Command and Chief of Staff, Marine Corps Recruiting Command, Quantico, VA.

>>  What positions has she enjoyed the most?  Which have been the most difficult?

In June 1989, Brigadier General Salinas assumed command of Recruiting Station Charleston and became the first woman in the Marine Corps to command a recruiting station.  In June 1992, she became the first woman assigned as a combat service support ground monitor responsible for the assignments of over 1,000 senior officers.  She was the first female assigned as a plans and policy officer for a major combatant command in 1999 and in May 2001 when she assumed command of the 12th Marine Corps District, became the first woman to serve as a recruiting district commanding officer.  She is the first woman to command the Marine Corps Recruit Depot/Western Recruiting Region in San Diego.

>>  Since the Brigadier General has been so many “firsts” – what can she share with us about those experiences?

Brigadier General Salinas is a 1976 graduate of Dominican College of San Rafael, Ca., where she received her B.A. in history. She received her master’s from the Naval War College in 1992.  She is a graduate of the Amphibious Warfare School, the Naval War College’s Command and Staff College and the Army War College.

Her personal decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with gold star in lieu of second award, the Meritorious Service Medal with 2 gold stars, the Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medal with gold star, the Army Commendation Medal, and the Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medal with 2 gold stars.  She has received Meritorious Service Awards from the Federal Employed Women (FEW), the National Image, Latina Style Magazine, and the Molly Marine Award from the Woman Marine Association.

>>  With so many awards to her name, and so many recognitions, what can she tell us about receiving awards, and how to motivate oneself during tough times?

She received recognition for her leadership by the Navy League and recognized as a “ground breaker” by Women In the Military for Service to America and has been named as one of the top,100 most influential Hispanics in the country and one of 80 most elite women.  Brigadier General Salinas is the highest ranking female Hispanic in the Marine Corps and the first Latina selected to the rank of Brigadier General.

Join me for this amazing interview!

The Battle May Be One of Our Own Creation…

There are times when we believe a battle exists, when in fact we’ve created it in our minds.  I know what I’m talking about because I’ve done it to myself numerous times.  Fortunately, I’m better at recognizing it now than I used to be, but I still find myself, more often than I’d like to admit, on a battlefield of my own making when I could choose to be at peace if I’d only shift my perspective.

At times we believe that someone is “out to get us,” either at a job setting, within our families, in our community work, or perhaps in personal relationships.  I see it among my friends, and of course, we have much better perspective when we’re viewing another’s life.  So if I’m able to view another’s life so easily, it would help me to use that skill to see my own circumstances with a bit more objectivity.  (Yes, humble pie can be hard to eat at times!)

Have you ever had a relative who said or did things to you, and you held a grudge against them for a long time, until you felt they’d done what they needed to do to “make it up to you” or change their ways?  And later, you realized that the real issue was within the person who supposedly “did you wrong” and the issue wasn’t really about you at all?

Or, have you ever had judgment about another person, believing their perception of you was significantly flawed, without acknowledging how you created the situation, or being open to what you could learn from it?

Maybe you find yourself embroiled in a bitter fight about the right way to handle “community issues” and feel that an individual or group on the other side is unreasonable and can’t possibly understand where you’re coming from or how things “really” are?

Well, I use the above examples (and I’m sure you could think of numerous others) because they’ve all happened to ME at various points in my life.  And it’s been downright difficult to learn to let go of the “battle” that I had created and shift my frame of reference.  But boy, the peace that I’ve had when I’m willing to let go of the battle and just be open to other possibilities is amazing.

Ironically, just this past weekend I had “girded” myself for what I believed to be a difficult battle only to realize that if I truly believed what I say I do, there is/was no “battle” at all and I can learn to accept what is.

Obviously, this “battle” to let things go is a continual one for me.  If this resonates for any of you, I hope you will also see that sometimes, being a guerrillera (warrior) isn’t necessary at all and we may at times gear up for battle unnecessarily.

Let’s save our strength, our energy and our tactics and strategy for those things that are truly battles that need to be fought.

Teresa Daviés

President of Quallight Efficiency Corp, a full service company offering efficient products and solutions, including innovative lighting technologies, energy management controls and automation, and energy efficiency solutions primarily for military and government agencies. Quallight’s most recent award was a $50K US Air Force contract to upgrade/retrofit lighting at facilities located at Vandenberg AFB in California.

>>  Join me as I speak with Teresa about how she got into this field and what are her goals for her current position?

Teresa is a utility industry veteran with successful management expertise running large-scale, multi-million dollar Energy Efficiency Incentive programs. As a Program Manager for the Residential Incentive Program at San Diego Gas & Electric, a Sempra Energy Utility, she represented business interests with regulatory authorities, other state-wide utilities, and trade groups, monitoring new technologies and rapidly changing legislation to maximize program goals.

>>  What can Teresa tell us about “green” energy resources, and what are the obstacles to the broader use of them?

She has worked closely with the Consortium for Energy Efficiency, and DOE/EPA’s Energy Star program, working in collaboration with hundreds of retailers and manufacturers building alliances to increase utility grid efficiency. She is also an experienced project manager experienced in the planning and design of electric/gas distribution energy facilities for construction projects including solar renewable energy sources.

>>  Given Teresa’s experience in the industry, what trends has she seen, and where does she see the focus going?

Teresa is a military veteran, having served several years on active duty in the US Navy and as a civilian employee at the US Air Force Academy. She holds a dual Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management and Marketing from the University of Phoenix.

Teresa grew up in San Bernardino, CA, the youngest of four children.  Since her father is from Baja, California, she was used to traveling back and forth as a child between Southern California and Mexico.

>>  I’ll be speaking with Teresa about early influences and how they shaped her later path.

Teresa became pregnant as a teenager and, after getting out of an abusive relationship, enlisted in the Navy which enabled her to leave her hometown.  She banded together with other women in the military like herself and coordinated women to support each other and help each other out with practical needs like child care.

>>  What led Teresa to coordinate women to help each other and what kinds of needs did she see in the military?

Her early experiences led her to want to be involved in community activities and Teresa has been involved in several organizations including MANA, a National Latina Organization and The Chicano Federation of San Diego County, Inc.

She is the proud mother of a son and a daughter.

May Latina Flick Picks

Sister Outsider Entertainment - Flick Picks
By Elisha Miranda & Sofia Quintero

Bread and Roses

This 2000 film stars Pilar Padilla as Maya Montenegro, an undocumented immigrant who gets involved in the effort to organize her fellow janitors of a Los Angeles office building.  Also starring are Elpidia Carrillo as her sister Rosa and Adrien Brody as a union organizer.  Taking its title from an old labor movement slogan that evokes workers’ demand not only for material benefits but also workplace dignity, Bread and Roses is a fictional tale clearly inspired by the real issues and events in the history of Janitors for Justice, particularly the successful 3-week strike it waged in Los Angeles in April 1990.   Director Ken Loach is also a social activist known for tackling social and political issues in his cinematic work, and he often collaborates with screenwriter Paul Laverty who has traveled throughout Latin America and has worked for human rights in Nicaragua where he lived for three years.  With the contribution of wonderful performances from both Padilla and Carrillo, Bread and Roses offers us a rare and compelling portrayal of modern-day guerrilleras.

Maya displays her warrior spirit from the start. She crosses the U.S.-Mexico border, evades being raped by one of the coyotes, stands up to rude customers at a nightclub and pulls a prank on the office drones that ignore Maya and her co-workers, all in the movie’s first twenty minutes.  When Justice for Janitors organizer Sam Shapiro attempts to recruit Maya and her sister Rosa to the campaign for greater wages and health insurance, it comes as no surprise when Maya joins the cause.  Rosa, however, is resistant, and yet as Bread and Roses unfolds, we started to consider that maybe, she, too, is a warrior of a radically different kind.  No spoilers here though! Get out your media journal, watch the movie, reflect on these questions, and share your experiences with each other on the Powerful Latinas blog.

Questions:

1)      Maya is a proactive character, making choices large and small all throughout the film.   She constantly makes decisions and acts upon them.  List these actions. How does her proactiveness impact both her material and emotional life?

2)      Think of a time in your past when you were passive about a challenging situation.  Maybe you felt you lacked the power to change an undesirable condition or wanted to take action toward a goal but was at a loss as to what step to take.  How did it make you feel? Did those feelings carry into other areas of your life? Looking back, are there things you could have done even if it was just change your perception of or attitude toward the situation?

3)      Maya and Ruben argue about whether or not to continue with the campaign, each having tremendous clarity on and giving compelling reasons for his/her position. Recall a time when you had a similar discussion with someone you cared about who was in the same situation as you but elected to make a different choice.  Who was the guerrillera? You? Him/her? Neither of you? Both? Take note of the criteria you are using to answer this question.  What does it indicate about your values, and how these values might influence your decisions in future “fight or flight” scenarios?

4)      Maya makes a choice toward the end that has a profound, unforeseen consequence on her life. Do you believe she regrets her choice? Have you ever regretted being proactive rather than holding back? Even if your efforts did not yield what you wanted (or maybe even backfired), do you think that taking action still added value to your life? If so, what was that? If not, why not?

5)      Maya’s guerrillera spirit is always at play, but let’s discuss Rosa. How did you feel about her before the big confrontation with Maya?  As that scene unfolded, did your feelings about Rosa change? What does Maya mean when she cries, “What did we do to you?” In what ways could we consider Rosa a guerrillera, too, even if we would not have made the same choice she did?

La Guerrillera

The woman warrior – this vision can be powerful and inspiring, such as the rebel, the activist, the revolutionary, and even the quiet subversive.

We have icons in our pop culture, such as Xena, the Warrior Princess, and even Wonder Woman.  (She was my favorite!  Did you know Linda Carter, the actress who played Wonder Woman, was Latina?)

These roles give us models of strong women who are capable, active, and even a little sexy.  These women can take care of themselves – and they get to wear cool outfits!  (Ok, back to Wonder Woman – I always wanted a lasso of truth, bracelets that could deflect bullets and a tiara that could double as a boomerang.  Well, what little girl doesn’t want a tiara?!?  Just kidding, I know not all of us did!)

But the pop culture icons make the warrior model look easy, fun, and stylish – and not all battles are fought that way.

Many times our battles are difficult and painful.  And there may be no winners.  For example, for those of us – myself included! – who found themselves in abusive relationships, there was nothing fun or sexy about that.  And the battle to get out of that situation can be long, painful and difficult, especially if no one in your immediate surroundings is on your side.  Thank goodness I was able to leave that situation, and I learned what kinds of things were unacceptable in romantic relationships.  But of course I’m still learning.

We have battles within our families, battles in the workplace, and battles for social and political justice.  We are all fighting our own battles every day, even if we choose to see them differently.

And, more importantly, we choose our weapons in a variety of ways.  Some of us are forceful and direct in our battles and some of us are more quiet and unassuming.  We can think about the different challenges we have in our lives as “battles” of one sort or another and we can choose to pick up arms, to surrender or to negotiate an outcome of some sort – sometimes a truce, sometimes a treaty, sometimes something else.

Think about the battles in your own life and ask yourself – what have been the outcomes of battles in my past and why?  And what would I like the outcome of future battles to be?  Are my tactics working for me, or not?  Which ones are useful, and which ones could be different?

Do I pick up my weapons too easily?  Or am I too quick to surrender?  While I would be the LAST person to say there has to be a “battle” or that there is always a right and a wrong (in my humble opinion, that is too simplistic a view for the complicated world we live in), feel free to use the metaphor in your life to ask some questions and probe for some answers….

Latina Leadership Lessons: Battles Can Be Strategic

In this month of May, we celebrate Cinco de Mayo, a holiday that to many is mistaken as Mexican Independence Day.  Of course, most of you know that Cinco de Mayo is NOT Mexican Independence Day (that date is September 16), but do you know WHY we celebrate this holiday?

I have to say that for myself, although I knew the basics, each year I learn more and more and I thought I would share some of these insights with you.  I believe they are important especially because, as Jovita Juarez, this week’s interviewee, reminded us, our Latino holidays often get “co-opted” by the companies who want to do Hispanic Marketing, and in particular, alcohol companies who want to make our holidays all about drinking.

So, on that note, let’s dive into some history about STRATEGIC battles.  Cinco de Mayo is the holiday that honors the brave Mexican peoples (mostly of indigenous backgrounds) who, although outnumbered by the French army nearly 2 to 1, won a battle at a key time.  The French army at the time of the Battle of Puebla was considered to be the best in the world, and had not been defeated for 50 years.

In fact, Cinco de Mayo is remembered as one of the important underdog victories.  But more important than that, when the French were driven out of Mexico, it was the last time an army from a foreign continent invaded the Americas!  This was an important victory for our entire hemisphere…

However, yet another important historical twist is that this battle (and victory for the Mexicans) was in 1862.  At this time, the Civil War was going full throttle in the U.S. and many believe that if the French had won in Mexico, the French would have continued their conquest by supporting the confederate rebels and possibly altered the outcome of the U.S. war.  It is a fact that the French, at that time, had their eye on Louisiana.

One other important point:  even at this time, the histories, politics and economies of the U.S. and Mexico were entertwined.  For example, Union forces rushed to the Texas/Mexico border to supply weapons and ammunition to continue fighting the French.  U.S. soldiers joined their Mexican comrades, and even one of the Generals (Zaragosa) who commanded the army at the Battle of Puebla (what we celebrate on Cinco de Mayo is the victory of the Battle of Puebla) was actually born in Texas.

So, given all this history, I hope we can see that battles can be strategic.  But we can choose where and when those battles happen (sometimes).  Recall that Jovita told us that when she turned her life around and got a second chance, she walked right back into an environment that almost “forced” her to go back to the previous life she led.  She decided she did NOT want to do that and fought to get herself out.

Jovita’s battles today are also strategic, and she knows that while some battles are both historic and public, others are much more personal, although they may be just as personally compelling.

Whatever your battles may be, mujer, remember to choose them well, and know that you always have allies!

Jovita Juarez

Jovita Juarez serves as a Senior Prevention Specialist for the Institute for Public Strategies working on the South Bay Communities for Change Project.  The Institute for Public Strategies is a San Diego County community based non-profit organization which provides leadership and strategies to support changes in public and private policy & community standards and norms. Jovita works with the “Environmental Prevention” approach to modify those elements in our social environment that condone or encourage unhealthy and unsafe behaviors.

>>  What kind of unhealthy and unsafe behaviors does Jovita work on and why?  How did she come to this kind of work?

At age 13 Jovita Juarez moved out of her house to live on her own in National City.  Jovita’s struggle with an alcoholic mother, family drug abuse and memories of rape and molestation made her secretly question the existence of a loving God. By the time it was her 16th Birthday Jovita had dropped out of school, had her son Chris and was experimenting with alcohol and heroin in search of some sort of peace amongst the chaos inside of her.

After several years of drug abuse, living on the streets and spending time in County jail and Federal prison, she finally met Jesus.  And once she met Him, she found peace.

>>  How did Jovita come to find her spiritual path, and what was she looking for?  I’ll be discussing with Jovita how she turned her life around and what’s happened in the intervening years…

Jovita chairs the South Bay Cinco de Mayo con Orgullo Para la Familia campaign, an environmental prevention coalition composed of youth, community residents, law enforcement, local elected officials, school board members and business sectors.

In the midst of various workgroup she chairs, she very proudly Co-Chairs the Latinos and Latinas for Health and Justice a statewide organization in California that founded the Cinco de Mayo con Orgullo campaign in 1997. Working with the Cinco de Mayo con Orgullo Campaign she sees that Latinos are already either virtually invisible in mainstream media or they’re portrayed negatively.

For kids searching for a sense of identity, Jovita finds it profoundly sad they have one of their few acknowledged holidays hijacked by the alcohol industry, so that the overwhelming theme of the Latino culture is not the fight against social injustice but partying and getting drunk. In her estimation, the alcohol industry takes Latino symbols and our traditions and uses them purely for the sake of market share.  Her battle and fight with the Alcohol Industry continues until she gains victory!

>>  What would this victory look like to Jovita?  How does she envision it?

Jovita has over 14 years of experience in the youth prevention arena. She has successfully performed in different capacities overseeing various community-based collaborations along with non-profit organizations, which specialize in providing Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs (ATOD) services to youth.  Jovita has developed a leadership role in San Diego by actively working on reducing youth access to alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. She is an active participant of a dynamic organization that endeavors and takes an active approach in enhancing the lives of many children, youth and adults, through leadership and collaboratively working with community members.

>>  How and when did Jovita first become involved in this work, and how has it shaped her life?

Amongst numerous recognitions throughout her career, FACE has also nationally recognized her for her admirable community involvement and achievements. Presently involved with MADD Latino Action Committee, Board Secretary of NCADD (National Council on Addicts and Drug Dependence), and A Volunteer for MANA de San Diego a National Latina Organization, a volunteer with Bomberos de San Diego and the Volunteer Activity Director for the Friends of Scott Foundation for children with Cancer.

In addition, to working as a Senior Prevention Specialist, Jovita also has her own business Heart 2 Heart Event Planning along with her sister Alexis.  Heart 2 Heart Event Planning began 4 years ago after volunteering her services for over 20 years.  Her business has flourished throughout the last 5 years by “word of mouth”.  Jovita says the business is in existence because of God’s love and His purpose in her life.  Jovita believes a wedding is all about helping couples realize their dream.

>>  When and why did Jovita decide to start this business and how does she find time for her different commitments?

Jovita believes that God can use the foolish things of this world to confound the wise, and she now uses her love for event planning and her work in the community and passion for God’s Word to bless others.  Now, armed with God’s purpose for her life and a new passion, she reaches out to others to encourage in their walk with the Lord and comfort them through her business, giving God all the glory.

Jovita resides in San Diego, CA with her husband Gustavo. She has three children, Chris-33 years old, Francina-24 years old, Azteco-21 years old and two granddaughters Luna – 3 years old and Leona – 1 year old.

Latina Leadership Lessons: Sometimes the Warrior’s Struggle is Internal…

I was so touched and moved by the interviewee this past week with Frances Rodriguez, author of the book of poetry entitled The New York Woman.

What an accomplishment to simply live, survive and want to give back and support others in whatever ways you can…

Here is a woman whose stepfather used her to test the quality of his drugs.  He would inject her to see if the supply was “pure” and OK to sell to clients.  He gave no regard to if she became hooked, or to her safety whatsoever.

Matter of fact, Frances was so frightened of him (and suffered so many kinds of abuses at his hands) that she left home at age 11 to live on the streets.

In spite of all this, Frances grew up with a strong sense of right and wrong – in the interview she talked about going up and knocking on people’s doors and asking for work as a child because she didn’t want to rob or steal to eat.

She also reached out and helped others when she could and offered others what meager resources she had.  And later, when she had a child of her own, she was a fierce protector of him and insisted she keep him with her, in spite of the fact that others tried to take him away.

And finally, when she saw she might repeat some of the patterns she watched in her home, she reached out and got help to break the cycle.  The real struggle for Frances was an internal one of CHOOSING how to respond, and to live as a different person than her parents.

While most of us don’t have to endure the kind of pain and suffering that Frances did, we can all learn from her example that we don’t have to allow our background or circumstances to predict who we are, and we can always heal what happens to us.

The battle may be an internal one, and it is one worth fighting.  Frances spoke of finding someone you trust to whom you can talk.  She shared that she had a lot of anger, and until she was able to let it out and do healing work with a counselor, it was difficult for her.  And yet, she was willing to do what it took; she struggled, and she overcame.

And now, Frances writes and speaks about her experiences to help others.  What a gift, and an inspiration she is, to show us that internal battles can be fought and won, and we don’t have to let others determine our destiny.

A Real Case of Courage

Because being a mother is the greatest sacrifice in the world.

Suzy was a lovely young girl, with exquisite poise but unconcerned by her own beauty and freshness. She married a young man who was crazy in love with her.  Their first daughter inherited her mother’s looks.  After a few years, Suzy became pregnant again.  When she went to the doctor’s office he examined her and told her they need to talk. She sat in his office as he said solemnly:  “I have news for you.   First, you are pregnant and the baby is in good health, the next news is not good. I have found beginning stages of cancer.” It was so hard for Suzy to digest such bitter news!  The doctor gave her two choices:  she could abort the baby and begin immediate chemotherapy and radiation with a 50% chance of saving her life or she could allow the baby to develop to term and begin treatment for the cancer after the baby’s birth.  The chances that the cancer would have advanced by that time were great.

What for some would be a hard dilemma, for Suzy was a certainty.  Suzy could feel new life developing inside of her, the heartbeat, blood of her blood.  She had that intimate connection with her baby that only a pregnant woman can feel.  Her love and desire to give the life growing inside of her a chance, lead her to make the choice by herself. She had no questions or resentment. No “why me?” No anger. No bitterness.  She just made the choice to allow for her baby to grow and be born, give her oldest daughter a companion, making sure that in case that she would not survive the girls would not be alone.  They would keep each other company and with luck they would become best allies in the difficult life they would face in the future.

Suzy died a few months after her second daughter was born.  Suzy’s sacrifice personified courage. She chose something greater than herself
Recipes for Life™
Something greater than your life
Ingredients:

2 Packs of Courage
1 Can of Love for life
½ Cup of Altruism
2 Bundles of Purpose
Faith to taste.

Condiments:
Nobility, Unselfishness, Idealism, Compassion.

Method of preparation:
Courage is one of the noblest human virtues. Courage is not only saving the world, not just huge heroic actions but courage is everyday small choices made with love and unselfishness.

The feeling for the love of life, to be able to transcend, to give, to find even a greater cause than existence itself, it is without a doubt the most gratifying dish there is.  When we find courage in our actions, and these lead us to accomplish positive and good causes then we emanate great internal strength that gives us the power to conquer our more distant horizons.  It is the feeling of love and kindness that arouses the soul of that person who understands the value of life, not only their own but the life of others.  In that altruism that allows us too cook with strong fires, powerful cold temperatures or hard to digest condiments; that which transforms a life in a cause for life.  When the Chef knows that a great recipe can change many people’s lives, and then there is no impossible ingredient, there is no obstacle that will limit it, because he is on its way and ready to give everything freely.  It is ready to impregnate its flavor in everything it touches and turn it into a better tomorrow.
He who lacks a reason for dying it is likely that he lacks a reason for living as well.

Spanish Version:

Un verdadero caso de Valor

Porque ser madre es el sacrificio más grande del mundo.

Esta semana recordamos y homenajeamos a aquellos hombres y mujeres que han dado lo mejor de si y se han sacrificado para perseguir un objetivo aun más preciado que sus propias vidas: proteger nuestras vidas y la de las futuras generaciones.   El sacrificio de estos soldados se extiende a sus padres.  Solo ellos saben lo que se siente cuando se ve a los propios hijos partir hacia un futuro incierto.  Esta actitud de entrega, auto sacrificio y generosidad desinteresada esta ejemplificada en la historia real de la vida de Suzy.

Suzy una hermosa muchacha con un buen carácter,  porte exquisito, siempre fresca y despreocupada de su bella apariencia, se casó con un muchacho que estaba perdidamente enamorado de ella.  Tuvieron su primera hija, que afortunadamente heredó la belleza de su madre. Después de  unos cuantos años,  Suzy vuelve a quedar embarazada. Cuando fue al doctor a  asegurarse de su estado, éste la  llamó a su oficina y le dijo:
“Tengo dos noticias que darte. La primera es que estás embarazada y el bebé  viene sano; la segunda noticia es que te encontré principios de cáncer.”  Ni con toda la frescura y la sencillez de esta linda mujer  pudo digerir la noticia tan amarga que estaba recibiendo.  El doctor le planteó dos alternativas: la primera, que Suzy abortara  al bebé y comenzara de inmediato su  tratamiento con quimioterapia y radiaciones, teniendo un 50% de probabilidad de poder salvar su vida.  La otra, dejar que el bebé se desarrolle a término y después del nacimiento comenzar a tratar el cáncer, con una probabilidad muy alta de que éste estuviese expandido y entonces tendría muy poca probabilidad de salvarse.

Lo que para muchos hubiera planteado un dilema, para Suzy fue una respuesta segura y sin titubeo.  Suzy podía sentir emerger dentro de su cuerpo una nueva vida, un nuevo latido, sangre de su sangre.  Tenía con ella esa conexión íntima que solo una mujer embarazada puede sentir.  Tanto era el amor y el deseo de dar una  oportunidad a aquella vida que se estaba gestando, que Suzy escogió sin consultar a nadie, sin resentimiento con la vida ni reproches.  Decidió dejar que su bebé crezca y regalarle una compañera a su hija mayor, asegurándose que en caso que Suzy no sobreviviera, las niñas no   iban a estar solas.  Se acompañarían y con suerte  se  convertirían en mejores aliadas frente a la vida tan difícil que les tocaría en un futuro.

Suzy murió a los pocos meses después de que nació su segunda niña. Hablando de valor y de sacrificio.
Recetas para la vida™
Algo aun más grande que tu vida

Ingredientes:

2 Paquetes grandes de Valentía
1 Lata de Amor a la vida
½ Taza de Altruismo
2 manojos de Propósito
Fe al gusto

Condimentos:
Nobleza, Desinterés, Idealismo, Compasión.

Modo de preparación:

El sentimiento por el amor a la vida, de poder trascender, de dar,  de encontrar una causa aun mayor que la propia existencia, es sin duda el platillo más gratificante que existe. Cuando encontramos valor en nuestros actos y éstos nos llevan a lograr causas  buenas y positivas, entonces nos emana una gran fortaleza interna que nos da valentía para conquistar nuestros más lejanos horizontes. Es el sentimiento de amor y bondad que infunde el alma de aquella persona que entiende el valor de la vida, no solo la propia  sino la de los demás.  Es ese altruismo que permite cocinar con altos fuegos, fuertes fríos o condimentos difíciles de digerir; ese que transforma una simple receta en una causa para vivir. Cuando el Chef sabe que una buena receta puede cambiar el sabor de muchas vidas, entonces no hay ingrediente imposible, no hay obstáculo que lo limite, ya que él se encuentra encaminado y dispuesto a dar el todo sin reservas.  Se halla listo para impregnar su sabor en todo aquello que toca y  a transformar su medio en un futuro mejor.

El que no tiene una razón para morir, es probable que tampoco tenga una razón para vivir.

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