Semana Santa...Familia es Todo

A few weeks ago I posted a picture of me on the beach. The response was something like ..."where is everyone?". Yes, for much of our stay in Mexico, we have long stretches of beach with only the occasional Canadian, the rare American and the ever present beach vendors. This week is different because it is Holy Week or Semana Santa.  Picture our Spring Break on steroids! The beach vendors are here, the bando's,(bands) compete for attention, the families set up day camp, the young beauties dance the Samba in the sand and the few Americans or Canadians brave enough to stay sit on the walls of hotels and take it all in....yes, we might be living life through their eyes for just a short period of time, but there are some lessons to learn also.

Beer flows with furious velocity, sand is kicked on blankets so close they cover the beach, umbrellas tangle with each other, food is shared, giggling children are watched by all, and in all this chaos nee
A fight takes place...in other words...."Vive y déjà Vivir" ....live and let live. 
Today, as we walked back from breakfast, we wove our way through children and umbrellas, vendors selling fruit and cherviche, parasails flying above us and a mass of humanity, and through all this madness came the true reason for this holiday.  Marching in a quite line, singing softly and carrying crosses came the patrons of the holiday. We have followed them in the past, watched them place the crosses in the rocky point and sat in reverence as they carried through their ritual.

On this Good Friday we see such contrast on the beach and in town, but through it all we see respect. Respect for the religion of others, respect for the way each individual chooses to celebrate and respect for the family.

In a few days it will all be over. Families will head home, memories will be tucked away, jobs will commence and children will return to school, but with such joy in their hearts.

As we walk the beach , our last week in Mazatlan, we will be reminded of many things, especially the giggles of the children, but mostly we will remember two things:
               Vive y déjà Vivir.....live and let live

                Familia es Todo ......family is everything

Not bad thoughts to live by.....