This little 3 year old is imitating the adult and helping to wash clothes! I have often seen this. Helping wash clothes, carry water, sweep -- children learn to do simple household tasks early in life. Some also try to help cook - stirring the food over the open flame when an adult is not watching - and getting burned in the process. Ordinarily adults are very careful with the open cooking fires, but toddlers, like toddlers the world over, can get into trouble so easily!
Children appear well loved in this country. Even neighbors will help out with little ones, especially if they are crying. If one of our newborns start to cry and the mother might be outside bathing or washing clothes, or getting food, another woman will immediately come to pick up the baby and comfort him/her.
It is New Year's Day and pretty quiet. I can't say the same about last night! It is customary for many to spend the entire night celebrating with friends. Even the electricity - which is usually on from 7-10:30 or 11 PM - was on until 4:30 this morning. It quieted down about 5 AM. Needless to say - the Church wasn't exactly "FULL" for 7 AM Mass this morning!
And today people celebrate with pumpkin soup! That is their New Year's Day special. It goes back to colonial times when their ancestors were slaves and the "masters" had pumpkin soup on special occasions. It is sort of like our turkey and cranberries for Thanksgiving -- not everyone would say turkey is their favorite kind of meat. but, for most, it is not Thanksgiving without turkey!
I stopped at the hospital after Mass this morning, and both the obstetric area and the childrens area were almost empty. Everyone went home who could -- they didn't want to begin a New Year in a hospital! We have 4 women in, 3 who delivered yesterday and one who is still waiting to deliver. The ones who delivered came back to the Center later today. I must mention that I saw almost no staff - only one person in the pediatric area and one in the OB area.
I went past the cholera tents, but had no idea how busy they were since the ones on the ground have 6 foot fences surrounding them, and the ones on top of the hospital are not accessible. I have heard that the rate of new cases is diminishing. We all hope that is true.
Well, time to sign off. Happy New Year to all and don't forget to pray for each other and for the people of Haiti. God bless. And may your new year be filled with many wonderful surprises!
Mary Ann
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