To Suffer With Another

By Abby G., Volunteer in El Salvador

When I first talked with Irene, I learned that she was made to leave her home country for legal reasons and that she cannot return to it. She has not seen her family for over ten years, and since she cannot speak Spanish, she is unable to easily communicate with the other women living at the nursing home. I was struck by how lovingly she spoke of her home country without any trace of bitterness or resentment. It was deeply impressive to witness her strength and resolve to love.

My encounter with Irene taught me that we are always free to overcome our isolation. In one sense, Irene—separated perhaps forever from her family, language, and culture—is the epitome of isolation. Yet, when I later reflected upon our encounter, I realized that in a deeper sense she is not necessarily isolated at all. Irene’s example taught me that we are only isolated when we reject the reality given to us, with all of its suffering, joy, and ordinariness. When we face and accept the present moment, no matter how painful or insignificant it may seem, we can finally begin to love the world around us and overcome our isolation.

I don’t know where Irene is on the journey of accepting her situation, yet it seems to me that, instead of becoming stuck within anger or hate, she has instead chosen to continue to love.