November 2024

With our hands:

A message of gratitude

As the year winds down and the spirit of Thanksgiving fills the air, we find ourselves reflecting on the many blessings that have made our community. In the heart of our distant yet resilient home, gratitude fills our hearts. Through the poetic rhythm of “With My Hands” by Blanca Guifarro a Honduran Poet , we invite you to glimpse the heart and soul of our lives. A life where simple moments and enduring traditions are celebrated with love, labor, and hope. We hope this message finds you in the warmth of loved ones, and that it inspires you to continue being part of our story. Let us now share this moment of thanks with you.

Poem: With My Hands

Blanca Guifarro / Honduran Poet

“With my hands I grasped my mother’s nipples,

to sip the flavor of life.

I learned to crawl, took baby steps, and step by step,

I walked.

With my hands I embraced and caressed my rag doll.

I grabbed paper and wrote:

‘Mom works at home and in the fields.’

I used my hands to play hot hands,

marbles, jump rope, and to tie up the horse.

I made tortillas, meatballs, and capirotadas.

I dusted the rainbow’s nose.

I felt the morning by the hearth.

I clapped, I gestured, and on the wall,

I projected graffiti…”

With our hands, we gather the firewood, and with the flavor of coffee, we begin the narrative .

Our fathers conquer the earth with their sickles,

our mothers weave our hearts and nurture relationships.

And as this unfolds, we long to return to our mountain—

where we learned to walk, to take our first steps,

to play, to craft, to laugh, to grow,

and, most profoundly, to give thanks.

It is no small thing to say that from this,

a cherished bond and a resonant sense of gratitude

emerge among those who are a part of our community.

A community born of the generosity of those

who, with their hands, do not hesitate to give

to this small, faraway place.
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Thank you, for with your hands and ours,

we weave something extraordinary in that distant place—

a place not far from resilience and magnanimity.

There, in that place where we make tortillas,

savor beans, and give thanks as a family,

you are there, seated close to our hearts,

making this beautiful community a reality.
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So, this Thanksgiving, come and sit by the hearth,

inhale the aroma of coffee, and become a part of our community.

Though far away, month by month,

we cherish the balm of your support.

Saludos! See you next month!

Esther Mejía RFI Honduras

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