Appreciation...

You can learn strength and happiness as long as you can learn  generosity to others and appreciation for what you are given. I have learned, in the past two days generosity because of the blessings and sacrifices that others are willing to give to those around them and appreciation because of the ability that I have seen in individuals to appreciate their lives and all that God has provided for them, regardless of whether others may feel it is not enough. I want to allow these individuals into my heart, because it will only further teach me to be a better person.

Ricardo, Jeff and Eric are the Filipino maintenance workers at the villa and I appreciate how they allow themselves to be happy with making the lives of those in the villa more comfortable than maybe their own lives. 

Ricardo has been working in Italy for 15 years, 10 in Rome and 5 here in Arezzo. He is the head of all the other Filipino workers here, like a Kuya to them all and a Kuya to us as well. He is always smiling and always in positive spirits. I enjoy his presence.  He is still yet to return to the Motherland. Eric has been here for 3 years, but he says "No real difference from home to here... Either work in the kitchen in Italy or drive tricycle in Philippines." Jeff is only 16 years old, the ading of the bunch, he says he does not want to go back to the Philippines. He's been here for 1 year and all he has known is work. He never finished school, he was okay with this because he knows he has to work, for himself and his family. 

These indiiduals live day to day to work, and do the work day to day to live. I love and appreciate them for their humor, patience and generosity. 

Yesterday we had an Operetta concert at the villa and a reception after. They served us appetizers and wine and had to wait for everyone to be done schmoozing before they could leave the villa for home. They were here until after midnight.

I think to myself, do others realize this, do they see Jeff standing in the doorway ready to refill our Vino take away our dirty glasses and bring whatever is needed? Do they see how Ricardo is never sitting down? How we never see these individuals have a meal? How they are here from the moment we wake until we sleep. A hot meal three times a day, a clean villa, fresh linens... I like to think they see all of this and appreciate it and that they will maybe show their gratitude to them eventually. Whenever I have the chance I sit to talk to them and let them know that I notice and that I appreciate and that I love them.

I sat in the kitchen with them while they waited for the guests to all leave and the students to turn in, for so long I missed the meeting time Wes and I were supposed to talk online. Just listening to their stories and joking with them in ilocano, teaching people bad words and such. We listened to Ilocano music off of their fancy cellphones they were so proud to have. They tried to challenge my ability to understand the Ilocano  and were so happy to know I understood. They all speak 4 languages, Ricardo fluently (Tagalog, Ilocano, Italian and English) i respect them so much for that. If any person in this villa sat to have a conversation with them they could. 

I told Ricardo that I was craving Filipino food and I was tired of all the Pasta. he told me I'll make you a special lunch, Chicken adobo. And sure enough today there was chicken adobo and mongo on our menu and right before my eyes at lunch. I have never appreciated a lunch so much in a long time.

My roomate Yessenya is another amazing and inspiring person. Thank God for blessing me with a month of living with this beautiful woman. She is 28 years old and she came to America when she was 19; alone and with Spanish as her first language, barely speaking any English at all. In Ecuador she was wealthy, her family owned much land, but she was the first of her family to come to the states. She lived with another family when she came, but she experienced uncomfortable surroundings because of the Father of the family. She could not live there anymore, but before she could figure out what to do if she left, they kicked her out. 

She was left to the streets on her own; she slept in a park for weeks, until she met a woman, who she calls her family, and Yessenya was brought into her home with her large family. They lived together with 12 others in a small shack like home. There was no room for her to sleep and so they offered her a place in the small coop in the back where the chickens slept. Yessenya was happy to be with them. Their meals were almost nothing and the surroundings were poverish, but she appreciated the generosity and the love they gave to her. 

A little after they were kicked out of this home because they were unable to meet rent, but she was no longer alone and although they slept in the park for more weeks, she had her "family" with her to sleep beside.

She later returned to Ecuador after living for herself in America, and now she is married and back in school studying at UCI and now here in Italy and she is happy and strong. 

She reminded me of the people in my life who have given to me with gestures and with just their presence. I think of my parents and how I know they would give me the world, even if that world was just the clothes off their backs. How could you even take for granted and not appreciate such sacrifice and the genuine generosities of the heart?

I feel so privilege that God has continued to introduce so many beautiful people into this life and I only hope to be able to do for them even a fracture of what they have done for my soul.