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As the New Year begins, I find myself pondering the nature of love. Although some say love is elusive, fleeting and ephemeral, when it’s real, there’s no mistaking it. Then, the tangible existence of that depth of feeling and connection is solid, undeniable and oh-so-real. Yet when we’re without it, it can become difficult to imagine or even remember.
Almost every religion equates love with joy, and that’s been my experience, too, throughout my life. The birth of a child, a hug between friends, the welcome of a beloved pet, even the contagious excitement of a holiday season family get-together can fill our hearts to bursting.
But beyond the more easily acceptable forms of love and joy, we may find ourselves in a shadowy grey Never-Never land where we wonder if all is as it seems. It becomes a question of trust – of them, of us, of our hearts and of the very nature of love and life.
The trick, then, is in how open we are to letting love happen as it will. To our chagrin, love is not rational or logical, and can pop up in the dangest places at the dangest times. How we respond – do we open our hearts or freeze with fear? – can be the biggest challenge of our lives.
And so, we risk. Something or everything, but on we go, moving through life, in search of that primal joy. Living in a new culture, I’ve found it’s best to be is as open-hearted as possible, as much as possible. This seems to then help me to embrace my new life, to experience and understand my Mexican home that much the better. But I’ve also noticed that in the process, years worth of protective layers around my heart are being peeled away, often without my knowing, as I learn to just let go and let it be.
Now, such lofty philosophical musings don’t mean much in the face of deadlines and workloads! This month, Bodie Kellogg continues his deservedly infamous “Cantina Crawl” with part two, and we take an excursion to the mercado libre, or what we call the Juarez Flea Market. You’ll find the 2010 Mazzie Awards entry form on page 11, but please note you can only vote online this year. (Results will be in the March issue.) Cinemaz is back again with reviews of movies being shown locally, Standing Order has the munchies and Health & Fitness takes a long sleepy look at insomnia.
Let’s welcome the New Year with sincere best wishes for continued and increased love, peace and happiness, in every way, in every place and for everyone. Que te vaya bien!
Janet
My stunned and heartfelt condolences go out to the family of State Secretary of Tourism Antonio Ibarra Salgado, recently deceased. Sec. Ibarra was one of the first supporters of M!, encouraging and praising it like a proud father. He never failed to recognize M! as Mazatlán’s star English publication in press conferences and gatherings, and found particular joy at the little bits of Mazatlán he found in its pages. His dedication, hard work and enthusiastic presence will be greatly missed.
Comments
Please keep up the good work, and to note, you have improved even from your impressive start.
many blessings to you, y L'chaim!