Mayan Sorrow Dolls
In the median of a highway I spotted her. Beneath the shade of the scarlet flamboyant tree, dressed in the colorful embroidered clothes of the Mayan, she sat smiling, a woven tan basket on her lap. Curiosity piqued, I crossed.
“Hola,” she beckoned.
“Hola.” I pointed towards the basket in her lap.
She leaned the basket towards me revealing hundreds of tiny cloth dolls. Different shapes and colors, they were dressed in a fashion similar to hers.
“Que?” I asked.
“Mayan sorrow dolls.” She said in English.
Mayan sorrow dolls?
I asked what a sorrow doll was, but her English could carry her no farther, and my Spanish had done for me all that it could. I purchased three, thanked her and was on my way.
At the hotel, I shared my purchases with the woman behind the concierge desk.
“Ah, very beautiful. Sorrow dolls.” Her smile held my answer.
“What is a sorrow doll?” I was bursting with curiosity.
“What is a sorrow doll? Ah, okay.” Leaning forward, bringing her elbows together, she rested her heart-shaped chin in the palm of her hands.
“The Mayan Indians made these dolls called sorrow dolls. They believed that the dolls got rid of human sorrows. If you tell your sorrows or troubles to a sorrow doll, it will worry or grieve in your place and you are free to be happy. These dolls are very powerful.”
The answer to my question came in the form of an inspiring story. I grinned.
“Thank you for sharing that with me.” I placed my dolls back in their bag, glad that I had noticed the woman beneath the tree in the median of the highway.
“Give one to your baby.” She whispered nodding at Ohm, who was nestled against my chest in his sling. “When he is older, and he has a bad dream, or is worried about school. The doll will help him. You’ll see.”
“I like that.” I beamed. “Thank you. I will.”
I walked away inspired by the story of the sorrow doll. The Mayans were true visionaries a world without sorrow, how about that?
Out of the three sorrow dolls that I purchased, I’m going to try my luck with one. The other I’m going to save for Ohm. I’ll share the story of the sorrow doll with him when he is old enough to appreciate it. The final doll I would like to share with one of you.
On August 25th, I will choose at random, an email address from my subscriber’s list, a simple thank you for reading and sharing my sojourns with me. If your name is chosen, you’ll receive an email from me letting you know that a sorrow doll is on its way. It will be your turn to share the story.