Mother’s Day – Oscar’s Birthday

May 15th is OUR day. It’s MY day because of Mother’s Day. It’s OSCAR’S day because it’s his birthday. Strange enough, here in Paraguay, it’s even a holiday! We always have a hard time deciding WHO gets to be congratulated first, Oscar or me. Yesterday was a wonderful break from school and routine…a good, family day.
I wonder sometimes why there is so much fuss in Paraguay over Mother’s Day. People even let off fireworks at midnight…Monday night! Parties started on the 14th already. Our neighbors had music going until 3 am in the morning. Some say that women have a great impact in Paraguayan history, family life, farming, etc. While the men were at war, the women stayed home to handle the crops, animals and many, many children. (Oscar’s mom had 14). During one war the women and children even went to battle. Women…mothers…are very highly esteemed. Last year my neighbors had some “MARIACHIS” come to sing to their mother at dawn. Towards the end of the day, yesterday, I was surprised to be considered a 2nd mother, and was given a beautiful bouquet of flowers.
Oscar likes to joke that he is his mom’s best Mother’s Day present and that his birthday is so important that they made a holiday out of it. Well, of course, we started celebrating his birthday on Monday, also, and today, Wednesday, at a school meeting we continued with the party. Tonight after church there are refreshments planned to celebrate his 40th birthday. Yesterday I made three cakes to take to the different places we were celebrating.
According to Oscar’s birth certificate, passport and other legal documents, he is 41. He was “born” on May 15, 1966. According to the rest of the family he is 40 this year and was born on May 15, 1967. His brother, José was born August 15, 1965, which means that if he was born in 1966 his brother would have been exactly nine months old…but the mother claims that there is a 1 year 9 months difference meaning that Oscar had to be born in 1967.
Anyway, it was a beautiful, warm day that was lots of fun.
Last night there was a TERRIBLE thunderstorm and half of our house is with out electricity. Today, wintry, cold weather is settling in and it’s raining.