Why do I write?
In the
beginning, I was anxious to explore what it has meant to be an expat/immigrant,
the significant moments, turning points, and losses in my life and how they have
shaped me. Writing has given me insight into what I value most in life. I’ve
learned over the years that there is more to writing than naval gazing.
A group of expat women in a local book club recently bestowed
upon me a priceless gift-- the knowledge that my words had touched them deeply.
They had invited me to attend their Zoom meeting because they were discussing
“Marrying Santiago,” my first book, published five years ago.
They sparkled with enthusiasm, each giving examples of aha moments. Yes! Of course! I know what you mean! I’d written about the pain of giving up my California family home. One woman worried where she and her siblings would meet, once her mother passed and the house was sold. Another brought up the great sacrifices we immigrants have experienced. This statement evoked a general and rigorous nodding of heads. Were our husbands and children cognizant of this? One woman shared that her kids commented on how their lives have been shaped by having a gringa mother. “We wouldn’t be speaking English now!”
I shared that in my family there’s seldom a reference
to the sacrifices, the losses, though I know they’re very aware of it. They know
how I love going back to my home turf. It’s clear in “Marrying Santiago.” One
woman in the group, who happens to be from Marin County where I grew up, shared
that even after six years here in Santiago, it still doesn’t feel like home.
After my 49 years here, I can say that making a life in Chile has been a
never-ending process. I often refer to myself as an “introduced species,” like
my California redwood tree, my roots always reaching deeper with the passage of
time. My husband, sons, grandchildren are my nutrients. Memories – of past
vacations, family birthdays, lunch in the countryside with friends, solemn
occasions like graduations and weddings –
all form part of my root system anchoring me here.
Yet I’ll always
feel like an introduced species.
Our Zoom gathering ended with all the women present
thanking me profusely for having written my book! They loved it, “couldn’t put
it down.” Words that transported me into
a euphoric writer’s paradise.
