Veronika Taught Me To Live...To Live Intensely!

I am very thankful. Thankful for being alive. Every night before I go to sleep, I give thanks because I made it through another day. The same goes for my mornings. What a wonderful feeling it is for me to wake up to the beautiful sound of birds singing, and the warm sun kissing my skin. For me, it's just an overall feeling of gratitude because I have been given the best possible gift ever: the gift of life.

This brings me to a novel that I jut finished reading a few minutes ago, truly deserving of this entry on yours truly's blog. Paulo Coelho's thought-provoking novel "Veronika Decides To Die" explores, with great sensitivity, what it's like to suddenly find out that you have only days to live. This novel had a profound effect on me because it clearly showed how big of an impact "an awareness of life" can have on you, in Veronika's case, through "an awareness of death". As a result of having her days numbered, Veronika was ultimately encouraged to live "more intensely". Her imminent death frightened her, but it was this very fear that forced her to reevaluate her life.

I was, honestly, blown away by how Coelho was able to put this idea or philosophy into perspective in such a beautiful and poetic way, as seen through the eyes of Veronika. This novel is truly magical, in my opinion. It is full of vigor and life in the midst of a young girl who's sentenced to death. Veronika reinforced my gratitude and love for each waking day...for life in general. She took me on a roller coaster ride of emotions and discoveries that are simply unforgettable! Her story intensified my desire to live life, or in the words of Coelho: to live life more intensely.

I now view life as one gigantic well of water and, I must say, I am very thirsty. I plan on drinking from it, exhausting it to the last drop. For this well of water is really the "well of life". Remember: "each day is a miracle, when you consider the number of unexpected things that could happen in each second of our fragile existences". Don't just live...LIVE!

When Compassion Hurts

I have the most wonderful cats in the world. They go crazy when they see me, specially if I have food in hand, hehehe. It's just wonderful I tell you. They love me and I love them. I try my best to provide them with everything they need...food, water and affection. However, there is one obvious thing I haven't been able to provide for them, and that is shelter. The thing is, these cats are homeless. They roam the cold and merciless streets of the Bronx. Their home is my neighborhood.

You see, my cats were born from the rough and sinewy dephs of the Earth. Actually, the Earth IS their mother. But, she abandoned them. Heartless and oblivious to their needs. She lashes out against them every single day! Making them cold and bitter in the winter and hot and thirsty during the dry and sweltering summer. Most of us humans wouldn't even lend them a helping hand either. We're selfish beings, I tell you. My furry friends struggle every single day to stay alive. It's an amazing feat of survival, if you'd ask me. I don't know how they do it. They've become expert scavengers, roaming garbage cans for ways to calm their insatiable hunger. They manage to find a few dried-up bones here and there. The remnants of someone's meal for the most part.

It breaks my heart not being able to help them! Everything is all wrong and I just don't know how to make it right for them. I feel powerless! Powerless because I have searched high and low for help to no avail. I have emailed countless shelters begging them to take them in with no luck. I wish I could take all nine of them in with me. But, I honestly can't. It's just not that easy. This feeling of powerlessness is definitely nerve-wrecking. One thing is for sure though. The fact that I've exhausted my resources does not mean that I am ready to give up. Not now. Not never. I just pray that they don't give up on me...

Right now as I write this, the temperature outside my window is 34 degrees and dropping. I feel horrible knowing that as I lay here in my warm, cozy bed, my furry little friends are out there in the cold. It's not fair. It really isn't! They should be inside too, but they're not. My love and compassion for them is never-ending. This, in turn, makes their suffering, my suffering. For, their pain haunts my mind every single day and every single night. Indeed, compassion hurts...a lot.

Below is a collage of a few shots I managed to get of some of them. They really are beautiful, aren't they!

Ethereal Beauty in the Mérode Altarpiece

Robert Campin’s “Mérode Altarpiece” triptych is considered to be one of the finest Early Netherlandish works in my opinion. Seeing it in person at the Cloisters, a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, was just breathtaking. For, it is truly a magnificent piece of art. According to the MET, the “Mérode Altarpiece” is believed to have been made by Campin and one of his assistants. I, particularly, love the figures and components that stand to symbolize various ideas and metaphors significant in a religious picture. Besides Mary as a crucial element in the depiction of Campin’s annunciation scene, Joseph’s role in the painting becomes equally important from a theological perspective. The inclusion of Joseph, for instance, is a vital element because it signals the start in which strong attention is given to Joseph. Furthermore, Joseph’s trade, as well as the tools with which he works, further expand his theological significance in the painting as a whole. For, they too, become religious entities within their context. I honestly believe that the particular space so well depicted by Campin, along with the elements in it, harmoniously work to create an environment that is reflective of its holy nature.

Silent Night

I am constantly relying on the strokes of my brushes in a constant effort to permanently capture the beauty and intensity of images, that are, many times, derived from my spirited imagination. Oftentimes, many aspects of these imaginary pictures only become remarkable and meaningful when I transform them into beautiful works of art that adequately communicate certain messages or feelings significant to my life. This is a rough sketch that I worked on recently using pencil, Conte sticks and charcoal. I call it "Silent Night"...Might just turn it into a painting!

Is This Love?

How can you tell if you're in love with someone? I honestly don't know. I mean, I have been in love before...twice, actually. But, I just can't put my finger on it. What feels like love to one person may be nothing more than attraction to another. Sometimes you can like someone a lot, to the point that it feels like you might just be in love with that person. You are overwhelmed with an array of feelings that seem to surface from you all at once and you don't know what to make of them. You feel the flutters of what seems to be gigantic butterflies flapping their wings in the pit of your stomach. You start getting some serious ventricular contractions and you become really nervous when you anticipate seeing him or her. But, does that mean you're in love? I wouldn't rule it out, but it might not be the case necessarily. This is because there is a little thing called lust. Lust feels like love, but it clearly isn't. It is mostly a physical attraction, which can get easily mistaken for love. But, how does that happen? I must say I don't know this one either. What I do know is that right now I am glowing. I feel an energy radiating from me that is truly magical. Isn't that awesome? I am free..my heart is free! To be honest, it feels like I'm walking on air actually. Sounds very cliche, I know, but I can't help it. I am truly loving this feeling and it's all because of him. That might not mean love to some. But that, ladies and gentlemen, is love to me.

My Two Cents on Animal Rights

Anyone who has or has had a pet in their lives knows that animals, just like humans, have personalities, fears, wants and needs. Today, there are those who, evidently, view those special animals in their lives as important family members. But, when it comes to “animal rights”, should your furry little friend be entitled to the same rights and freedoms as you? Should the law promote animal welfare? To answer that, yes!

To begin, I am not advocating that animals should have exactly the same rights that we have. In my opinion, granting dogs the right to vote is completely pointless, and about the right to free speech, well, it’s obvious (unless you’re a parrot of course, hehehe). Instead, I am advocating that animals should have rights similar to the rights that we have. Rights that essentially protect them in the same way that human rights protect us. My position can be summarized as follows. Some nonhuman animals resemble humans in many ways. They see and hear, remember and anticipate, feel pleasure, pain, fear, happiness, anger, loneliness, frustration and satisfaction…these and many other qualities define beings that are, in many ways, just like us. As a result, they should be entitled to basic rights as well.

Many people feel indifferent to animals and the idea of animal rights. Actually, many people laugh at the very idea of animal rights. Immanuel Kant, for instance, an 18th-century German philosopher, thought of animals as “man’s instruments”, deserving protection only if it benefits humans. But, wouldn’t you agree that the mistreatment of animals is very similar to racial discrimination? I sure do! We have already learned that skin color should not be a reason to oppress and torture others. If that's the case, why should discrimination against an animal be any different? If it’s a matter of mental capabilities and the fact that animals can’t verbally express themselves then: do we deny babies, children, and the mentally challenged, for example, the rights that they so rightfully have, simply because their cognitive abilities aren’t developed enough or because they can’t verbalize their thoughts like a “normal” person would? No, we don’t! Animals, in this case, shouldn't be the exception. Then, why not protect them as well?

It’s not a matter of whether can they reason? Nor, can they talk? But, can they suffer? And the answer is yes! Some people argue that animals lack emotions. But, I honestly believe this to be inaccurate and completely unacceptable. Take this for example: I went on vacation last year to the Dominican Republic without my chihuahua Dani for two weeks. She rarely ate during the time I was away. According to my mom, she was sad and missed me too much. As soon as I was back, she was her happy self again! Research strongly backs this up by providing ample evidence that animals can, in fact, show signs of not only physical pain, but emotional pain as well.

This brings me to the idea of Speciesism. According to animal rights activist Peter Singer, Speciesism is a type of prejudice in which humans see themselves as superiors to other nonhuman species (animals) and, therefore, have rights and privileges that are only limited to them and just them alone. Again, is this not very similar to the idea behind racism? Indeed, it is! There are those who believe people should be allowed to treat and use animals however they want. I am completely against this! People should not be able to torture animals or engage in acts of cruelty against them. I actually know of someone who used to pick up stray cats in his neighborhood just to throw them from the roof of his eight-story building because he wanted to see if cats really had nine lives! Shocking, right? Sadly enough, the law never punished this person.

In my opinion, animal rights should simply entail laws that prevent acts of cruelty to animals, such as the one I just mentioned, in order to keep them safe and secure. There should be a stronger law enforcement that protects animals from cruelty such as beatings and intentional injuries inflicted upon them. People with animals in their care should be held highly responsible for the welfare of such animals. Overworking and mistreating, such as is the case of circus animals for instance, as well as starving or depriving animals of adequate care and protection should, without a doubt, be against the law as well! Elephants don’t belong in the circus to begin with! Owners must always offer enough food, water and decent shelter to their animals. I mean, why not??? It’s not only the right thing to do, but the HUMAN thing to do!

If taken seriously, laws such as these, would do a great deal to protect and help keep our animal friends safe and happy. Keep in mind, that they are also living, breathing beings that are capable of feeling pain and suffering much like you and me. Why should we not extend a helping hand to them as well? Think about it…

A Carton of Inner Peace, Please

Looking out my window. I feel the brisk November breeze caressing my face. Her touch empowers me…like the touch of a goddess. Back inside, I hear a fusion of musical instruments. Among them, I recognize the rich sounds of the guitar, the tamboras, and the humble güira. My mom is playing merengue in the background. Sergio Vargas to be exact. There’s a nice cup of tea waiting for me in the kitchen. Lipton’s chamomille. I savor its mild, flowery taste. It warms my soul…it warms my spirit.

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately. My thoughts have been all over the place. They lack coherence. They’re one big, jumbled mess. Like a puzzle, I have to put them together. Organize them…somehow. But, I just don’t know how. It’s a tumult. My life that is. Hey! there’s an idea. Wouldn’t it be great if you could just walk into a store and be able to purchase balance and harmony? Like, you walk into a store and ask the nice, old man with the silver hair and wrinkled skin sitting behind the counter: “may I please have two pounds of balance (maybe three, depending on how crazy life is for you at the moment) and one pound of harmony, please?”. You might want to add a carton of inner peace if you ran out of that too.(sigh)

I pray. I’m not religious, but I pray. I pray to something…to someone. I don’t know what exactly it is that I pray to. But, lets just say that I pray to a higher being. I believe in a higher being. Again, I’m not religious, more like spiritual. Anyway, I pray. I actually pray every night before I go to sleep. But, I don’t pray in the usual, standard way. What I mean is, I don’t recite an actual prayer or psalm. Come to think of it, I don’t know the words to any of them really. I just ramble on and on, to myself mostly. Hoping that, in the midst of all this rambling, something or someone out there is listening to me. Listening to my hardships, my agony, my misery. And maybe, just maybe, my prayers are answered.

I feel much better when I pray. Praying doesn’t fix my problems. But, I feel better nonetheless. The fear goes away. It doesn’t go away permanently. It just seems to quiet down for a brief moment. For, it is still lurking in the peripheral. But, in that brief moment, I am reminded once again, that there is still hope.