December 8, 2012
Today is Mother’s Day in Panama.
December 8th.
The whole country takes it off.
Government offices are closed. Â Everyone is off work. Â
Women are awakened at about 4am by being serenaded in the street.
To me – at this moment – it seems a punishment to be awaken in this way.
A band gathers in the back of a pickup truck and plays music for all the houses that have pre-paid for the honor. Â Loud music.
As you imagine, you can hear the music pretty well even if you didn’t request the 4 am wake up.
We don’t get these traveling typica bands in our small and quiet neighborhood. Â But when we lived in the densely populated San Jose neighborhood we experienced it.
Actually, it was kind of fun to see and hear it. Â A cultural experience. Â Maybe I would grow to love it. Â Maybe.
As my sister once told me, it is collective guilt over their treatment of women that makes some countries make a  big deal out of mother’s day.
Did I mention that Mother’s Day is a National Holiday in Panama? Â
That is alot of guilt.
Happy Mother’s Day!