Splash No. 181 - Paciencia y Fe
Paciencia y Fe
Last week, I watched the musical In the Heights, which focuses on the experience of members of the Latinx community in Washington Heights. The film mostly centers on young people in their twenties and the dreams that drive them. Yet, for me, the most compelling character was the matriarch of the community, the abuela, who had no kids of her own and instead adopted the whole neighborhood as her family. Her mantra of paciencia y fe (“patience and faith”) reverberates throughout the movie, through nearly every character. In abuela’s case, we discover that she immigrated from Cuba as a young girl and was faced with a life filled with struggle, inequality, and racism. The only way that she could make it through it all was a steadfast combination of patience and faith that eventually allows her to help the dreams of the future generations of her community.
Abuela feels familiar to me, reminding me of the members of my family who struggled to create a brighter future for those who followed. I think about my grandma who was the first in the family to get a degree, but took things further and received a master’s degree and became the principal of a school, while still cooking and doing laundry for her family of four. I think of my dad’s days working at the loading docks in high school when he moved to the States or his dad’s long hours at the store. I think of all the ancestors whose names were lost to British colonization and its aftermath. And I think about how simple and privileged my life is in contrast: a first class ticket, paid by the blood, sweat, and tears of those who came before through patience and faith.
For all of these people, I’m deeply grateful for their ability to work harder than I ever could or ever have had to. I live in awe of how deeply they served a purpose, whether it be survival or something more. In contrast, my life sometimes seems purposeless, a haphazard sojourn through my days, where the whims of the day hold too much power. My environment is different, yet I’d like to capture some of the spirit of those who came before, to honor the work that created my world, to have faith that the world can be made better by my hand and some patience.
Drops of the Week
PLAYLIST - My Top Songs 2021 - can't believe this year's almost over. Looks I listened to a lot of pop punk in 2021.
ARTICLE - "Reconnect" by Paris Marx - I've been trying to wrap my head around the many claims of crypto enthusiasts, and this piece does a good job breaking down how some of the claims may be misguided when it comes to decentralization.
POEM - "The World, how" by Martha Rhodes - "To be / found millions of years later, / mountains of bones ground down..."
With each day, we can move closer to a more equitable world. Reminders:
Donate to Help Afghan Refugees Settle in NorCal Mutual Aid Networks
Anti-racism resources
Thanks so much for reading! If you're not already subscribed, I'd love for you to subscribe here. You can also check out my older newsletters here.
Also, I'd love to hear your thoughts— you can reply to this email if you loved or hated the letter, or you want to tell me about how your day has been. I'm all ears.
Faithfully,
Nikhil