Ceremony of the First Stone

 My heart is very full.  So much gratitude for every person, every ancestor, every moment that has gotten us to this place and this moment.  Today we had the ceremony of the first stone, which means that Victor and his team have dug part of the foundation (see earlier photos in the previous post), so that we could truly place the first stone.  

We invited many friends who helped us arrive at this moment, and because of timing not everyone could come (it was on a workday due to traveling on my part and Federico’s).  Patricio and Mari (some of our first friends here), and they introduced us to Victor the architect of our home.  Cris, who Fede met hiking the mountain here, and he and his wife Odilia have been our faithful guides through the process of buying land and living here.  Odilia has been an honest and kind guide in helping me navigate cultural norms that I am learning with humility and sometimes confusion.  You don’t know what you don’t know is my mantra. 

The ceremony was opened by Patrick and Mari (former priest and nun, now married for many decades), who offered us blessings, prayers, and holy water.  Mari created a beautiful altar with the an image of the Virgen de Guadalupe and flowers.  The Virgen is our first housewarming gift.  

Fede had the idea of inviting the local authorities to the ceremony.   To our delight and surprise, they all showed up, over 10 people, native to this pueblo.  They volunteer their time to run this village (that is how pueblos work here, through the volunteer energy and time of native residents).  Each of them shared their thoughts on living here, guidance on being in community and welcomed us warmly.   

Architect Victor and Juana,  his warm and wonderful wife, daughter Diana and Luis made the whole ceremony flow.  Juana and Diana made amazing tostadas with her fresh corn tortillas, and I bought tamales from a neighbor of Patricio and Mari, so after the ceremony we all ate our fill.  Many of our guests shared that this ceremony is no longer common any more, and that they loved being a part of it….

Fede and I wrapped up the afternoon dreaming about the party we will have once we have moved into the house.  It will be on a Sunday, and I think the menu is going to feature lamb.  

This is a dream come true.  Each moment is a gift.  Each person on our path.  These mountains.  

Thank you Creator.