By Guadalupe Velazquez | Girls Coordinator
Dear Donor,
We are already in the final stretch of the year. It is important to take stock of what has occurred in order to determine what was achieved, what was missed, and what could have been done differently.
This year has presented us with extraordinary challenges. Many people believe that this year should not count, others, that it should simply disappear without any fanfare. We all recognize, however, that it has been a unique year; one in which we all have had many experiences… some have had major losses, both emotional and material, others have struggled for self-improvement.
In crisis situations, many different facets of our personality emerge. With some people, their generosity, kindness, creativity, and leadership become manifest. In other cases, the crisis led some to become more self-centered, less positive, more defensive and possessive without concerning themselves with the well-being of the group or community. We all would like to think that such self-protective reactions will soon fade away with our continued evolution.
We would like to believe that those who have suffered in their lives will eventually learn to transform this suffering into empathy and a heart-felt concern for others within our communities. It is hoped that we will all become appreciative of what we have, accepting of what is beyond our reach, and grateful for all that life offers.
At Puerta Abierta we have been able to see, during this Covid -19 crisis, how conscientiously our girls, teenagers and young woman have worked to adapt to the “new normal.” Some accepted rather quickly the difficulties of their confinement. For others, the social isolation created many limitations and discomforts. The level of personal and collective growth, however, that has taken place in each of them has been surprising. These girls, teenagers and young women have shown the ability to appreciate aspects of their lives which previously seemed irrelevant to them. They have shown a renewed appreciation for the attention, care, affection, and dedication of their caretakers. The academic performance has been significant and praised by their teachers.
Today the girls of Puerta Abierta are aware of all the positive consequences of this pandemic, of the effort that each one has made to live through this experience the best way possible, and how they have developed and matured. Nevertheless, as with everyone else affected by this catastrophe, they want the pandemic to come to an end. While we all sail in the same boat, not everyone can experience the storm in the same way. Regardless of how they navigated these turbulent times, our girls discovered their personal strengths and characteristics.
It is important to question if it is necessary to suffer so much in order to truly value what we may have simply taken for granted.
The Puerta Abierta family wishes that we all try to live a healthy Christmas with much peace and much gratitude!
Merry Christmas and a Hopeful 2021.
Links:
By Guadalupe Velazquez | Girls coordinator
By Margarita Barcenas | Lic in International Commerce
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