My mother taught me kindness. She accepted each person she met with a gentle curiosity that filled your being. She wanted to know you and share your journey. She rarely ever said a harsh word and she never judged anyone. Her kindness and acceptance awe me.
The mothers I’ve met in Haiti have taught me courage and resilience. They accept their situations with grace and faith. They work tirelessly for their children in a world so foreign to us it is unfathomable. They struggle to feed and clothe each child. They fiercely fight to enable their children to attend our EcoVillage school. They pray for us! They don’t give up even when earthquakes shake their world or violent gangs threaten their existence. Even when there is no food or expectation to find food, they can smile. Their courage and resilience awe me.
In our work locally to support this school, we have met many people—mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters. They listen to our stories about our families in Haiti. They ask questions. They pray. They follow up with more questions. They weep when they hear the news from Haiti. Their generosity and caring awe me.
Yesterday, our Haitian partner wrote: “we now face an unparalleled struggle where some Haitians are threatening to stop their fellow Haitians from surviving and thriving.” She writes many have been killed, injured or reported missing and thousands have been forced to flee from their homes.
She awes me with her words: “We thank all the supporters of the school in Atlanta who are still praying for us in Haiti. We know that with the help of prayer we have a day to breathe. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, on behalf of the MPP organization, parents AND students of the EcoVillage School for collaborating with everyone else in the community. With prayer we will break down the walls of insecurity that stand before us.”
Kindness. Acceptance. Courage. Resilience. Generosity. Caring. Determination. Conviction. Love. All words that encompass the powerful spirit of mothering. We are all mothering and being mothered by each other in our walk together, Haitians to Americans, Americans to Haitians.
Carolyn French