MY GIFT TO YOU—GET YOUR FREE EBOOK—“THE 5-DAY JOURNEY TO CULTURAL AWARENESS”!
“It’s walking day!” Pierre shouted as he came leaping down the stairs and into the kitchen.
He had just woken up, but he had only one thing on his mind.
It wasn’t his favorite French breakfast of hot chocolate milk and bread covered with yummy Nutella spread.
It wasn’t his favorite game app on my iPad.
No, Pierre had only one thing on his mind . . . FREEDOM . . . freedom outside the gate of our home.
What was beyond the gate? What was the world like out there? Had it changed in the past 50 days since total lockdown began in Spain?
Perhaps Pierre had even forgotten what the world beyond the gate was like. It had been so long.
Spain’s confinement measures were among the strictest in Europe—especially in regards to children.
“Spain, one of the hardest-hit nations by the pandemic, imposed one of the strictest lockdowns in Europe on March 14, with people allowed out only for short trips to buy food, medicine, walk their dog and go to work if they can’t work from home.
Minors must remain in their homes at all times except for a few exceptions such as for children with special educational needs or from single-parent families.”
www.rappeler.com
Fifty Days
It has been 50 days . . . 50 days that all of the children in Spain have not been allowed to step outside the gate of their home or outside the door of their apartment complex.
Fifty days.
Some kids in tiny apartments in Spain, without a balcony, have not seen the sun in 50 days. That’s a long time.
At the beginning of last week, we were pleasantly surprised to receive an email from the U.S. Embassy in Spain. Their words gave us a glimpse of hope. They informed us that there was a possibility that confinement measures would be loosened a bit on April 26 in regards to children.
Holding Our Breath
We held our breath . . . hoping, yet not wanting to be disappointed AGAIN.
We had just received news that school would not resume again this school year in Spain. Therefore, perhaps kids would not be allowed out of their homes until
We held our breath.
Last Tuesday, April 21, 2020, we received news from some friends here in Spain. They told us that kids under age 14 could go out, starting Sunday, April 26, 2020. They could be accompanied by only one adult, but they could go to the grocery store or pharmacy with their parent.
“You’ve got to be kidding!” I said when I heard the news from our friend. “That makes no sense! There’s more risk with me taking Pierre to a grocery store or a pharmacy than there is walking around the block for some fresh air. “
I was shocked.
Thrilled!?
Pierre, on the other hand, was thrilled when he heard the news. “I can go to the grocery store with you on Sunday?!”
He was already dreaming of buying some special candy with his chore money. He didn’t care where he was going. He just wanted outside the gate of our house!
I had already devised an alternative plan in my head.
“Instead of walking through the doors of the grocery store, we will walk AROUND the grocery story. We can do ten laps,” I told Vincent. “I’ll be sure to have money, a grocery bag, gloves, and masks in my purse if ever the police are patrolling and stop me. If that happens, we will go inside the store and make a quick candy purchase. If not, we will go home when we are done walking. We can honestly say that we went to the grocery store. We just didn’t go inside.”
I smiled thinking of my plan. But, it was truly ridiculous. Why couldn’t I just take my little boy on a walk in the neighborhood—in nature, in fresh air?
Misunderstanding
That night, during the 8 p.m. clapping time for Spain, my neighbor yelled over the stone wall that separates our driveways. “Sunday, you can take Pierre on a walk!”
“You mean take him on a walk to the grocery store or pharmacy?” I asked sarcastically.
“No, on a walk—one hour a day—only one adult can go with him,” she explained.
I was confused and happy at the same time. I hoped that our other friend had been mistaken. I hoped that our low-level Spanish had led to our misunderstanding as we had read the same information in the local newspaper articles online. It seemed that children could only go to grocery stores and pharmacies with a parent.
The next day, Vincent read another news article. This time, the article was titled, “Sp
A Surprising Apology
An apology, wow!
On Thursday, April 23, 2020, a Spanish deputy prime minister apologized to all of the children in Spain for confining them to their home since mid-March.
“This confinement was not at all easy for you. You had to stop going to school, you stopped seeing many of your friends and family members, you had to play at home and could not go outside,” Deputy Prime Minister Pablo Iglesias told a news conference.
“For all of
www.rappeler.comthat we ask for your forgiveness and we thank you for everything you have done,” added the leader ofhard left party Podemos which governs in coalition with the Socialists.
They also apologized for the confusion of Tuesday’s announcement, saying that children could only go to grocery stores and pharmacies.
I was just thankful for the good news.
I didn’t care if the Spanish government had made a mistake in the first announcement. I didn’t care if they had changed their minds in response to parent protests and outrage. I didn’t care about the reasons for the change of plans.
I just cared that FREEDOM was in sight. FREEDOM was just around the corner.
A Song of Hope
Yesterday, I sang a song of hope.
“The sun will come out tomorrow. Bet your bottom’s dollar that tomorrow, they’ll be sun. Just thinking about tomorrow clears away the cobwebs and the sorrow, ’til there’s none.
Just thinking about tomorrow, so you gotta hang on ’til tomorrow, come what may.
When I’m stuck with a day that’s gray and lonely, I just stick up my chin, and grin, and say . . .
Tomorrow! Tomorrow! I love ya, Tomorrow! You’re only a day away!”
Annie
Yesterday, the sun finally came out in Spain!
FREEDOM!
“It’s walking day!” Pierre exclaimed.
“Do you want to walk, or ride your bike, or take your scooter?” Vincent asked Pierre during breakfast yesterday morning.
“I want to walk,” Pierre said. “I just want to walk.”
As we got out his tennis shoes to head out the gate, we realized that Pierre had not worn those shoes since the last day of school, March 9, 2020. That was 50 days ago. Usually, Pierre is barefoot at the house or in plastic flipflops.
“Aww . . . it feels so good to have these on,” he said as he slid his feet into his familiar, comfortable tennis shoes.
I took Bernie on the leash. My dog was my ticket to walk out the gate of my house. Vincent walked next to Pierre, with a soccer ball in hand to do some passing while they walked.
Our faces were covered with smiles from ear to ear. It felt so refreshing, so freeing.
As we started walking, Pierre said, “Wow, this feels so good. I think I forgot what this place looks like!”
Nature, fresh air, mountains, flowers, birds . . . and lots of kids and parents with masks and gloves. It felt surreal and magical.
Freedom! And who’s watching the clock and counting the time? I’m certainly not! We will be going out again and again today . . . and tomorrow . . . and the next day.
Freedom has come to Spain! Let the kids run wild!
It’s kinda like Noah’s Ark. It’s time to open the door and let the animals out to play! And, let’s hope that we can find the rainbow that is coming after the storm.
—THE CULTURAL STORY-WEAVER
MY GIFT TO YOU—GET YOUR FREE EBOOK—“THE 5-DAY JOURNEY TO CULTURAL AWARENESS”!
LET’S WEAVE CULTURES!
Have children been able to get outside to play in your part of the world? If so, what has that been like? How has that changed the dynamics and atmosphere in your home?
We invite you to tell us your own cultural stories and global adventures . . . as you engage with the world, breaking down barriers, building bridges, and “weaving cultures”! Write about them in the comment box below.
Wow! You have had it so much worse in Spain than the United States. Children have always been able to go outside with social distancing and hopefully masks, and of course, we have limited groups of people to no more than 10 people at a time. So I am so happy to hear your children can get outside now for a walk.
Yes, it has been difficult, but by God’s grace, we have survived! It’s amazing what you can survive when you have no choice in life! We are so thankful for freedom—something we so often take for granted when we have it. So, for now . . . I’m one happy mama to see my boys run freely again . . . along with all the other kids in Spain!
Soooo happy to hear you and Pierre FINALLY got to enjoy some freedom in the fresh air! May none of us never again take for granted the freedoms we do enjoy. May we be continually reminded of how much we should cherish liberty – and take joy in even the smallest privileges and blessings ?
Yes, freedom is such a beautiful thing. We often lose sight of it! While riding his bike, Pierre keeps saying, “I feel so free! This is the best day ever!” 🙂