The Ana's

Along with the little children living at the Hogar, I have come to be close with some of the older girls in the house.  Ana Flor and Ana Lucero are two very sweet teenage girls that have lived in the Hogar for a large portion of their lives.  They have come to call the Hogar home, and like most of the older kids here, they have a deep love and respect for the home and the people in it.  They always watch out for the younger children by helping them get ready in the morning, picking them up from school, and playing with them during their downtime.  I personally think that without the older children doing all that they do around the house, the Hogar would not function.  This house is a huge machine that runs on the willingness of everyone to contribute, and Flor and Lucero definitely do their part.
 Flor and Lucero suffer from the same type of congenital deformity of different extremities.  Despite this, they lead the average teenage life in a house with what seems like thousands of children.  I often see the girls doing laundry on the top floor, hanging up the children’s clothes and folding all the garments and blankets.  Ana Lucero, after only a week of knowing her, asked if I could please stay longer than a month.  I love that no matter what mood she is in, she always manages to ask how I am and say hello to me when she passes by.
 One thing I notice about some teenagers in the house is that they are, in some ways, growing up a little faster than other young adults.  They are given responsibilities and even adopt their own responsibilities for taking care of the younger children.  Almost everyone in the house is awake by 6 am, getting the kids showered and dressed for the day.  While they do have free time before they head off to school, they take on a lot of work throughout the day and weekend.  I wouldn’t say that it’s any more work than the average kid that has daily chores, but it becomes a lot when you add on the existence of 15 smaller brothers and sisters.  Nevertheless, the teenagers hold their responsibilities with pride and know that it is a small price to pay for all that the house gives back to them. 

- Nicole

Lucero and I: 

Lucero and Flor: