In the past year, Ernesto and I have used this blog to share
so many joyous events, especially the birth of our son Santiago, whose
existence has blown our hearts wide open.
We have been exceedingly lucky.
Today was one of those days on the other extreme. Days when things seem cosmically unfair and
you sit, staring at a wall, wondering how some things in the world come to pass.
Today our friend Pati
Ortiz was killed while hiking with a group of students to a local
waterfall. We don’t know all the
details, but weather conditions had loosened the earth and there was a
landslide. Pati recognized what was
happening before the students and launched herself on top of one of them,
sacrificing herself to save the life of another. Pati was killed instantly.
Pati was a biologist and teacher. I sometimes thought that Pati would literally
explode with life. Pati’s passion for her work
was unparalleled. She would take a group
of students (or colleagues and friends) with no interest in biology/ecology and
have them enthralled in nature.
Pati was also an incredibly kind hearted person. She peppered Ernesto and I with thoughtful
gifts from her travels and was one of the first people to visit us in San Jose
after Santiago’s birth. She had a
bleeding heart and was so easily moved by thoughtful words or gestures. She was a talented musician who poured into
her songs all of the intense emotions that defined her.
Pati was also a single mother to her five year old son, who
adored her and whom she adored.
Ernesto and I came home today and felt the weight of the
world on our shoulders. I think it is
the weight of parenthood. We looked at
Santiago and felt sick to think what life would be like without him. We looked at one another and felt sick to
think what life would be like if Santiago were to lose one or both of us.
In that split second when Pati realized what was happening,
I doubt she had time to weigh the value of her life in relation to that of a
student. It’s probably best she didn’t;
I doubt anyone could make such an impossible choice. She acted selflessly and heroically. And yet, I can’t help but feel angry at the
price she paid. If Santiago were on a
hike, I would pray that his guide would act exactly as Pati did. But as someone who knew Pati as a mother, a
teacher, and a friend , it’s hard not to feel angry. Not at her, but at the unfairness.
Pati brimmed with life.
She pulled you into her vortex and you felt overwhelmed by her
vivaciousness. She was the real life
example of what it means to live in the moment.
Pati could go to the same stretch
of forest or same waterfall fifty times but you’d never know it. She greeted each moment as a unique
gift. At forty years of age she still
possessed that special wonder and awe that most of us shed with childhood. Pati was an incredibly special person.
Tonight, and tomorrow, and for days to come, hug the people
you love. Tell them you love them. And try to live in the moment. Your efforts would move Pati to tears.
With much love from Monteverde,
Kate, Ernesto and Santiago
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