Good evening everyone!
My name is Maresa, and I am a sophomore at the College of Wooster. I am so happy to be on this trip and to be impacted by the people and the culture, even in such a short time. It's funny to think that I have learned so much from the small time I have been here, but things work in mysterious (and maybe even quick) ways, no? I wanted to share with everyone my experience at the border. Being a child of immigrants (any Cameroonians here!), I can resonate a lot with other immigrant families. Going to the border was an interesting, painful, and yet hopeful experience. It is quite hard to explain unless you have been there. I have heard stories of friends and family members and their journeys to the States or their rejection from the States and being able to talk to people who have been through similar experiences but just from a different part of the world has made me understand the experience of my fellow loved ones even more.
The first thing that I was told when heading to the border was that there is an area for family members and friends on both sides to communicate through the wall. Over time, the restrictions have become greater, but the love and hope of individuals have still remained. When we first got to this area, I heard the voice of a small child. I looked over in joy because I love children, but I was met with a heartbreaking image. A young boy stood on the opposite side of the wall (the States), while a man stood on the Mexican side. The young boy could not have been anything older than 5. His small yet stern stature caught my eye as he titled his small head all the way up to meet the eyes of the man on the other side. The young boy was talking to this loved one with so much joy and happiness and as if he has gone through this routine one too many times to shed tears. They spoke as if there was not a wall there, but the man laid his arm on the wall looking as if he wanted to touch the young boy. He wanted to hold him and kiss him. I do not know their story nor do I want to invade but this image of a hopeful child and a resilient man came full circle for me. Esperanza truly means hope I thought. The event was so jarring that I wrote a poem on the way back to the posada, and I hope you enjoy.
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I saw a little boy today, and there was so much hope in his composure that I wondered where mine had traveled after all these years. His tiny voice screamed, "I'll be able to hug you once again loved one. I'll be able to touch you soon again loved one. We'll be able to talk face to face loved one." Face to face. No border. No walls. No walls to distinguish between groups of people from the same earth and the same beginning. "You'll be able to make it loved one. You'll be able to watch me grow loved one. You'll be able to cry with me once you cross loved one. They won't keep you there for long. We'll be together soon enough."
I heard this all in a little boy's voice. I saw this in a little boy's body. Maybe one day, we'll be able to talk face to face without a wall. We'll be able to treat everyone as precious humans longing for the social companionship of another. We'll be able to welcome one another. We'll be able to see, like that boy, that there's hope in humanity if you try really hard to look for it. We won't be "us" nor "I" nor "them." We'll be a collective "we." A strong "we." A powerful "we." Together. No matter the color, language, spirituality, gender, sexuality. No border. No wall. No more
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A young boy has taught me how to hope again. A young boy has taught me how to love again no matter the circumstances. A young boy has taught me that it is I who can help make a change, one person at a time. Though I did not listen to their conversation or understand the language, I still was provoked by the experience. My heart sank because I knew that he was strong and he has been that way for so long, even in his short lifespan. So, so can we. I hope everyone finds a little boy as I did. I wish someone teaches you what hope is by bringing it to your front door. I hope that hope will prevail along with love and "us versus them" will be no more, but "we fight no one",
Thank you for reading my post, and I hope I brought you some great insight into the world I have been so happy to discover.
Sincerely,
Maresa
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