Abandonment or Love?

When Enrique's mother left for the United States, she did it out of the love and want for her children to have a better future. Then, when his Grandmother sends him away because he won't listen even though she wants the best for him and loves him, the narrator says that "to Enrique, it is another rejection. First his mother, then his father, and now his grandmother" (Nazario 25). He does not understand that people are not leaving him because they do not want him, but rather because they love him and think that leaving him will help him in some way. I have never been left behind or had to leave one of my family members, but I can understand his frustration. Because several of my extended family has passed away, I can feel a very small portion of what Enrique felt. Have you ever felt abandoned or had to leave someone or something you loved out of love/necessity? 

A Gift of Blood

The second half of Enrique's Journey describes a priest who dedicates his life to helping the migrants in Nuevo Laredo.  His name is Padre Leo.  Padre Leo gives the migrants food, clothing, shelter, and love, and Enrique is one of the people whom this unusual priest helps.  The extent and intensity of Padre Leo's dedication to the migrants becomes especially evident in the author's discussion of the medical attention the migrants receive under the priest's care, when it is revealed that "if they need blood, Padre Leo is the first to donate" (Nazario 173).  It is a great sacrifice and a phenomenal expression of  love to spend one's life providing necessities to those in need, as Padre Leo does; however, to give one's own blood to complete strangers is a completely different level of giving.  Padre Leo is giving himself, both figuratively and literally, to these people, and one cannot help but wonder why.  Yesterday, I had the privilege of serving lunch to kids in a very poor neighborhood in Nashville.  There were African-American, white, Hispanic, and Burmese kids all gathered together to play and eat.  The mix of cultures and the happiness of the children were astonishing and beautiful, and I plan to return as soon as I can to serve them lunch again.  Perhaps the beauty resulting from helping those in need is what drives Padre Leo to be so dedicated in his service to the migrants.  Have you ever experienced this kind of beauty?  How did it make you feel, and what was its effect on you?

Love in Order to Survive

When Enrique is still living in Honduras, his home life is rather rocky; however, when he is very young, he seems to be happy living with his grandmother.  When Enrique is about ten, he and Grandmother Maria seem to have a system in which they both help each other in order to survive.  The author tells the reader that "Grandmother Maria cooks plantains, spaghetti, and fresh eggs...In return, when she is sick, Enrique rubs medicine on her back.  He brings water to her in bed" (Nazario 12).  While Grandmother Maria provides food for Enrique and herself, Enrique gives his grandmother the care she needs.  Enrique also brings water to his house from the water truck, and he sells spices in front of the market.  If either of them were to stop working for the other, it would be difficult for both to survive; however, the love Enrique and Grandmother Maria have for one another both comes from and propels hard work.  My family doesn't function quite like that.  We help each other, but I have never had to bring water to my house from a water truck.  If I were to sell spices, it would be so I could make a few extra dollars, not so that my family could eat dinner.  Despite these differences, the love that Enrique and his grandmother show is universal, and it is relevant in my life.  For example, my mother, who is studying for the Bar exam, often calls upon members of our family to help her complete tasks for which she simply does not have the time, such as organizing her office.  How do members of your family help one another, and how do you see the universal theme of love in your everyday life?