Picture yourself at an outdoor market in Mexico.
There is music and color all around you.
The round vowels and dramatic R's of Spanish roll through the air.
The street is lined with stalls selling every kind of fruit,
Vegetable,
Spice,
And meat that you can imagine,
And more.
There are toys,
Clothing,
And household goods vendors.
Some stalls serve food,
Delicious smoke from the grill drifting out to tantalize shoppers.
It's very different here from what you're used to.
You're enjoying everything you see,
Hear,
And smell,
Taking in all the details of this experience.
Everything is new,
And you're right in the middle.
The rhythm of the hectic market all around you,
The hum of humanity in a foreign language,
Surrounded by quickly moving strangers with their bulky bags and carts on all sides,
All going about their daily business,
Brushing past you to reach the tortillas,
The papayas,
The chicken.
It's a blazing hot day.
You realize that your skin is feeling sticky,
And your senses have been working overtime.
You start to feel a bit overwhelmed,
A bit tired,
A bit far from home.
And then you notice her.
Our Lady of Guadalupe is there,
A small statue nestled in a niche behind the chicken vendors,
Quietly observing all the comings and goings of the busy market.
What is she doing here,
You wonder with delight?
You've always liked her,
This gentle lady with the stars on her cloak,
This kind mother figure,
Humble and wise.
For a moment,
You wish you were her,
Small and safely off to the side,
Able to observe calmly without being in the middle of the crowd.
But in the very next moment,
As you look at her,
You start to feel something moving through your body,
A cool,
Refreshing calm,
Deep and serene,
As if the inside of you had just been swept by an ancient arm of the ocean.
You no longer feel overwhelmed.
Your senses are no longer being teased in all directions.
You are not worried by the matting crowd.
The world around you has slowed and its volume has been turned down.
You feel safe.
You feel secure.
And even though you're far from home,
You feel at home.
Even though you're still in the market crowd,
You feel at home.
Even though your body is hot and tired,
You feel at home.
And you realize that wherever you are,
And wherever you go,
You are home.
