Lessons from La Loba

People often ask me who or what is La Loba and why did I name my agency this. I belive in a life of stories, either my own or others. I think these stories are the links the reveal our shared humanity. Story telling is one of the founding principles of my programs.
And La Loba is the story of them all.
Her hair white with wisdom and her face wrinkled with the history of many lives, La Loba walks the cracked expanse of the desert collecting bones of dead wolves. On the night of a full moon, La Loba carefully pieces the bones together on the desert floor. When the moon is at it highest point, she starts a fire and begins to sing. If the wind is blowing just right, you can hear the heavy sorrow of 10,000 mothers’ tears or the tinkling laughter of 100,000 happy children in her song. La Loba’s song has within it the vibrant music of life --- a song powerful enough to transform bones into living, breathing wolves that run and howl into the night. Legend has it that if you ever come face to face with a wolf in the desert and peer into its eyes, you will see La Loba dancing and singing by the fire. And if you ever happen to look into the eyes of La Loba, you will see the spirit of the wolves, running and howling in her.
The story of La Loba is rooted in the knowledge that a life/death/life cycle is as constant and steady as the earth spinning on its axis. This cycle helps us all live on through each other. Teaching the community the power of this cycle is the ultimate goal of the La Loba. When we learn to understand the stories of those who have passed on. We learn the power of our memories. When we learn the power of memories we learn to grieve. When we learn to grieve, with openess and honesty we learn to live. When we learn to live we have a life full of stories.