“GINETTE” (LOVE IS NOT WHAT YOU SAY)

LOVE IS NOT WHAT YOU SAY.   IT’S WHAT YOU DO.  THIS PHRASE HAS BEEN FOLLOWING ME. I HEAR IT ON THE RADIO, I SAW SOMEONE POST IT ON FACEBOOK, AND IT HAS BEEN IMPRINTED IN MY MIND SINCE I HEARD IT FOR THE FIRST TIME.  I OFTEN FIND MYSELF SAYING “I LOVE YOU TO CLOSE ONES”, BUT THOSE WORDS COME OUT OF MY LIPS TOO EASILY.  I CAN PICTURE MY LIPS MOVING WITH A BIG EMPHASIS SAYING, “I… LOOOOOOOOOVE…. YOUUUUUU”   OR I HEAR MY LOVED ONES SAYING THAT TO ME.  ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS. LOVE IS WHAT YOU DO, NOT WHAT YOU SAY.  LIFE IS A TWO WAY STREET. YOU SHOULD GIVE AND TAKE AND YOU SHOULD TAKE AND GIVE. WE ARE VERY GOOD IN CREATING STORIES AND FEELINGS THAT ONLY EXIST IN OUR MINDS.

I HAVE BEEN AWAY FROM MY COUNTRY AND MY FAMILY FOR DECADES. I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU A STORY FROM BACK HOME THAT IS VERY DEAR TO ME.

MY SISTER, GINETTE, IS THE YOUNGEST OF MY SIBLINGS.  SHE IS THE CUTEST AND MOST PETITE OF US ALL.  SHE ALWAYS HAS A SMILE A SMILE ON HER FACE. MANY YEARS AGO ON THE DAY OF HER WEDDING AT DUSK IN A BEAUTIFUL SPANISH COLONIAL CHURCH IN GUADALAJARA, MEXICO, AS THE SUN WAS GOING DOWN AFTER THE CEREMONY AND AS DOVES WERE LINGERING NEARBY AND LOVELY MUSIC WAS PLAYING, WE GATHERED TO GREET THE HAPPY NEWLYWEDS.

THERE SHE WAS, A BEAUTIFUL BRIDE IN HER WHITE WEDDING GOWN WITH THAT GORGEOUS SMILE THAT SHE ALWAYS HAS HAD. AS I WAS ADMIRING HER BEAUTY I NOTICED THIS OLD SHORT LADY THAT I DID NOT KNOW EVEN MORE PETITE THAN MY SISTER, ELEGANTLY DRESSED IN A DARK OUTFIT TALKING TO MY SISTER VERY INTIMATELY.  AT THAT MOMENT I SAW A TEAR ROLL DOWN MY SISTER’S FACE.  THAT MOMENT LOOKING AT THEM WAS BEAUTIFUL AND INTRIGUED ME.  I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT SHE WAS TELLING MY SISTER THAT MADE HER CRY.

AS THE YEARS WENT BY, I ALWAYS REMEMBERED THAT INTIMATE MOMENT. SO, ON ONE OF MY TRIPS BACK TO MEXICO AS I SAT WITH HER, I ASKED HER IF SHE REMEMBERED THAT MOMENT WITH THAT PETITE LADY ON HER WEDDING DAY. I WANTED TO KNOW BUT NEVER ASKED BEFORE WHAT IT WAS THAT SHE TOLD HER THAT MADE HER SHED TEARS ON THAT SPECIAL WEDDING DAY.  SHE LOOKED AT ME AND WE BOTH STARTED BRAINSTORMING AND TRYING TO REMEMBER WHAT GUESTS WERE AT THE WEDDING. SHE FINALLY REMEMBERED. SHE SAID TO ME, “I WASN’T CRYING. IT JUST HAPPENED TO BE THAT SOMEONE HAD THROWN RICE IN MY EYE.”

IT MADE ME LAUGH BUT AT THE SAME TIME I FELT VERY DISAPPOINTED. I WAS EXPECTING SOME MOVING STORY. I CHERISHED THAT MEMORY FOR SO MANY YEARS AND IT MAKES MY HEART FULL OF LOVE FOR MY SISTER.

SO…. IN THE LIGHT OF THE SAYING “ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS”, THIS STORY CAME TO MIND AS I SAT HERE THINKING.  THIS STORY WAS VERY MEANINGFUL TO ME AND TURNED OUT TO HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH ACTIONS.

THROUGH ALL THESE YEARS I HAVE TO SAY I HAVE BEEN GOOD BY MY ACTIONS IN SHOWING HOW MUCH I CAN LOVE.  NOT JUST BY THOSE THREE LITTLE WORDS.

PLEASE DON’T TELL ME YOU LOVE ME. SHOW ME THAT YOU DO.

 

GUADALUPE