La Abuela Xochicuamatzin/Grandmother Xochicuamatzin

El segundo año de la Danza de la Luna, estaba yo al lado de el Abuelo Cenyaotl apoyando a las danzantes de la luna y le comentaba yo “Abuelo, que fuertes son estas mujeres! Yo me estoy muriendo de frío y de sueño y mire ellas como andan como si nada.” Era ya casi la tercera ronda y todavia faltaba tiempo para que amaneciera. En mi mente aun quedaba lo duro del año anterior con la lluvia, el frio, la dureza del viento, y el abuelo me contesto “mmhm mira y señaló hacia el circulo cuando iba pasando la fila de la abuela y entre ellas iba la abuela Xochicuamatzin y me dijo “sabes cuantas operaciones tiene ella?” Y me dijo, “ella tiene al menos 7 operaciones y mirala”. Yo le dije “deveras? pos que le paso?” El Abuelo dijo, “tuvo un accidente.” Y yo le conteste bromeando “O sea que ya es como una mujer biónica.” El se rió y me vió como diciendo “ay Daniel el travieso” porque asi me decia. Y dijo “es por eso que debemos de estar aquí y no pensar en el frío ni querer irnos a dormir, si no pues a que venimos? nomas voltea a verlas y te llenan de fuerza.” Esto me hizo valorar mas el trabajo que un hombre tiene que hacer en la danza de la Luna para fortalecer no solo a su mujer sino a todas las mujeres y ayudar y apoyar con el servicio, con la sonrisa y con los animos. “Y mira, luego dicen que la mujer es el sexo débil pero de débiles no tienen nada”. En eso las volvimos a ver dando otra vuelta y se expreso de la abuela Tonalmitl con muchisima admiración, amor y cariño, y de nuevo platicamos de la abuela Xochicuamatzin admirando su voluntad, su entrega, su fortaleza, y su todo sabiendo que para ella dar un paso era mucho mas duro. No necesité preguntar que tipo de operaciones había tenido solo me cautivó mucho el saber que una persona como ella pudo superar sus dolores físicos y si algún mensaje puedo expresar, ese mensaje sería dirigido para todos los guerreros apoyando en la danza de la luna. El mensaje sería que pusieramos mas atención en ese tipo de ejemplos que nos dan cada una de las mujeres que estan ahí adentro porque al final de cuentas no sabemos cuanto cargan ahí en el circulo y una de ellas representa ese ejemplo para que nosotros los hombres honremos a guerreras como la abuela Xochicuamatzin respetandolas mas en la vida diaria en el mundo. La abuela se ha ganado el respeto y la admiración de guerreras y guerreros y algunos le llaman “La abuela sonrisas”. Y gracias a esa sonrisa cada vez que ella pasa frente a mi me llena de fuerza cuando levanta su brazo y nos bendice con su bastón respondiendo al grito de “tiahui Mexicas!! tiahui Cihuas!!” inconfundible entre las sombras con su sombrerito de lana y su paso tan bello y poderoso lleno de esa luz y amor que irradia su sonrisa . Le agradecemos a la abuela por ser esa fuerza para nuestros cuerpos débiles que sentían el sueño y el cansancio y estaban a punto de desfallecer. Que recuerdos Abuelas, que recuerdos!
Antonio Acatzin

The second year of the Moondance, I was next to Grandfather Cenyaotl, supporting the Moon dancers and I was talking with him saying “Abuelo, these women are so strong! I am really freezing and want to go to sleep! but look at them, like as if nothing.” It was almost the third round of the night and it was still a long time before dawn. In my mind I kept thinking about the previous year that was so hard, with lots of rain, the cold, the harshness of the wind, and abuelo answered “mmhm look” and he signaled to the circle when the line of grandmother Tonalmitl was passing by and amongst those women was grandmother Xochicuamatzin. He said, “do you know how many surgeries she has had?” and continued, “she has had at least 7 surgeries and look at her.” I responded, “really? What happened to her?” The grandfather said, “she had an accident.” And I answered jokingly “So she’s like a bionic woman?” He smiled and looked at me like saying “Ay Dennis the menace” because he used to call me like that. And he said, “that’s why we have to be here and not think for a minute about the cold weather or wanting to go to sleep, if not what did we come for? Just turn around and watch them all and they fill you up with fuerza.” This made me value more the work that a man has to do in the Moondance to strengthen not only his woman but all the women, and how men can help with their support, their service, their smiles and su animo. Grandfather continued saying, “and then people say that women are weak, but that is not true.” At that time we saw them again as they were making another turn and he saw his duality Abuela Tonalmitl and expressed all his admiration, his love, his cariño for her. We continued talking about Abuela Xochicuamatzin admiring her will, her commitment, her fortitude, and her everything, knowing that for her, making each step was harder. I did not need to ask what kind of surgery she had because what captured me was knowing that she was able to overcome all that physical pain and if I can express any message it is a message directed to all the guerreros who have a woman Moondancer, or even if there are warriors out there who go and support all the women. My message is to pay attention to these examples that each one of the women give us because many times we do not know how much they are carrying in the circle and each one of them is an example for us men to honor them as women warriors like grandmother Xochicuamatzin respecting them in our daily life in the world. Abuela Xochicuamatzin has earned the respect and admiration of the men and women warriors and she is called “grandmother smiles.” And thanks to her smiles, each time she goes around and I see her in front of me, she fills my spirit with so much strength when she lifts up her arm and blesses us all with her sacred staff responding to my gritos de “tiahui Mexicas!! tiahui Cihuas!!” She is unique in between the shadows of the night, with her particular sombrerito de lana and her beautiful and strong step full of that light and love that her smile irradiates. We thank you grandmother Xochicuamatzin for being that strength for our weak bodies that feel sleepy and tired and almost give up. Ah, memories, sweet memories! Antonio Acatzin