Siesta

Around here, offices and businesses close every day between the hours of noon and 2:00pm for siesta. Folks turn down the lights, eat a leisurely lunch, and sometimes even unroll cushions behind their desks for a little nap on the floor. After I eat, I’ve become accustomed to taking this time to read a little, write a little, or just close my eyes and think.

While the tradition of siesta is rooted in Latin American culture, it offers a very practical solution to life on the Colombian coast – It’s hot here! Weather.com reports that while it’s 91˚F today in Barranquilla, it “feels like 106˚F.” ¡Bien Caliente! Under this scorching sun, when it’s just too danged hot to function, siesta gives everyone time to slow down and cool down. It seems to me a beautiful ritual for self-care, for shaping cultural practices in response to real human needs.

Last Sunday after church we were invited to eat lunch in the home of one of our friends. For a few hours we visited, played with the baby, ate delicious food, and, in the mid-afternoon, we all took siestas on the various couches and beds throughout the house. It was a bit strange for me to find myself sprawled on my friend’s bed, listening to the hum of the fan and watching the curtains dance across the windows, but I relished the opportunity to be silent, to retreat for a small moment. After about an hour, we gathered back together, shared a tinto (small mug of black Colombian coffee with sugar), listened to music, and talked politics until the early evening. Given the intensity of human rights work and the amazingly long hours so many folks spend on the job, it’s no wonder that families will be so deliberate about relaxing, reenergizing, and enjoying each other on Sunday afternoons.