Is she happy?  Not always.  Truthfully, she struggles for self acceptance.  The pain and rejection are still too real for her to put in the past.  Where, when, and how, I sometimes wonder, is the blessing for the persecuted like her? She was just a teen when she heard of the special meetings taking place in her legalistic and religious community.  She had heard some strange and wonderful gossip about those meetings. Her curiosity, like the spiritual void within her, was growi

On a morning in a Oaxacan market, photographer Graciela Iturbide made one of the most enduring images of Zapotec life” This photo was taken in 1979, and the lady in it, who became somewhat of a local celebrity as her image was used extensively, has since died. I have seen many women here carry many things on their head, but have to admit I haven’t seen any ‘iguana ladies’. Iguanas are food to the coastal people. I was told the pregnant ones with eggs are especially delicious.

During most of my last pregnancy I repeatedly told my OB that I did not want this child delivered by C-Section. Even so, twelve years ago this week, my little princess (child number four, daughter number one), was pulled into this world. Via caesarean. We were living in Chihuahua City at that time and as my Mexican friends and neighbors began finding out I was pregnant they would ask, “So what day have you decided to have the baby?” What kind of question was that? I thought.