Speaking From The Heart Tijuana and Letter Writing and Stuffed Animals for families detained at the border. Thanks to the work and initiatives of friends Araceli and Ava, we were able to learn and participate in helping spread some love and childlike wonder.

Araceli is a speech and language therapist who’s connected to orphanages in Tijuana for which she provides therapeutic services. She connected and guided us as we visited kids on two trips. In our time there, it was simply about being present and sharing in the moment together, with all the love and childlike wonder we could share. We would play games, be in groups, do art, dance, and chat. It was a way of understanding how play and childlike wonder transcends verbal language.

Ava is a professor, whose heart lies at the intersection of compassion and social justice. She led the community to write letters to uplift and support and collect stuffed animals for familiies who were being detained at the California and Mexico border. The people showed up to write letters, donate, anddrop off stuffed animals! It was beautiful seeing how down our community was to show up when events within our world could use support, love, and advocacy, and our role in helping create avenues to contribute.