Mamita's Child

Born in Puerto Rico, there was a very beautiful woman named Esther M. Rivera-Carlo. Most people
knew her as Ten, but her close family called her Mamita.

That woman grew up, got married, bore three children, who in turn bore another generation. She moved to the mainland US with the rest of her immediate family, and lived to a very old age. But still, when she passed away this year, it was difficult to bear because so many people loved her, and she was such a good person.

Instead of flowers, her son, (and my soon-to-be uncle) asked that well wishers send their donations to i.HUG. And they did.

It fascinated me to come home and see checks arrive from, among other places, Puerto Rico--family members with beautiful, long names, carefully penned cards, in memory of Mamita.

My new uncle more than matched the funds, and decided to set up the type of fund that would always sponsor a child. Next year, we'll start a child out in first grade, and that child will be sponsored until age 16 or 18 (depending on if they want to go to university). When that child is done, another child will enter into grade 1. The amount of stability that brings to the sponsorship---and a child's life--cannot possibly be described. I feel so lucky to even watch it happen.

In this way, out of something so sad, something so beautiful arises. EKIRUNGI EKIVA MUNFUFU--from the dirt, beauty arises.