(Picture of the group from Santisima Cruz from many years ago).
NOEMI
(By: Karla Wagener. I was born on January 4th, so I feel that I represent the Angel who gives the key to open the door to Heaven, miracles, epiphany and wisdom. The nuns at my school, Sacred Heart, dressed me as an Angel for my brother's communion in 1961, and as a nun in the school play the previous year. I feel that they were preparing me for life and a special purpose.)
It's like finding the secret key to open the door to Heaven and miracles. Am I also the other person, like my friend, "Noemi".
When Chela brought her neighbor, Noemi, to Legion of Mary meetings around 2009, everyone considered her to be disabled.
I was the president a few years later and had to appoint someone as secretary. No one wanted to take the position. In my innocence I thought, "Noemi says she finished seventh grade, so she has to be able to take notes, and she never misses meetings." So I appointed her secretary. She put a lot of effort and enthusiasm into it. She had a hard time, she was very messy, so Chela tried to guide her, although it was very difficult. Looking back on it now, I wish I had taken more time to correct her. I didn't think much of it at the time.
It seems like yesterday, but it's been years. Over the years we've talked a lot about how to help Noemi. She lived in a big house that her parents left her. It was dark, everything was dirty, there were cockroaches, rats, broken appliances, even traces of feces. Noemi ate poorly, asked for junk food from the neighbors and had health problems. She didn't clean herself well, she had horrible false teeth that we didn't know where she got them from. She caused rejection.
Chela was the one who tried the most to improve the conditions in which she lived, as far as possible. I gave her sheets, clothes and supported Chela in her intention. She was more practical than me. Other ladies from the church were also kind to Noemi. Many of them have died or moved away. However, we did what we could at that time.
The biggest obstacle when it came to Noemi was a person who was more or less in charge of her. She claimed to be her cousin but was not related. This person apparently wanted to take her possessions and kept us away from her. Taking care of Noemi was too much for her. We did not know how to deal with the situation.
Due to pressure and insistence, and after many years (and a lot of prayer) that person got a pension for Noemi and now she also has social services. A social worker is going to go to see what is happening, how the house is and the conditions in which she lives. Noemi is getting better and now she knows that she can be useful, go out and do things. She dances folklore, goes to Mass, and does activities in the neighborhood.
The key is "Is this not me? (no es mi)"? (Noemi)... Seeing in other people their value and this is the miracle that gives us the much needed keys to making life better!
