I recently spent time with a family in Mexico who I met two decades ago. At that time, the mother was working hard to take care of her 4 children on the salary of a hotel worker.
Our meeting after such a long time was marred by news of the disappearance of one of her daughters who has not been seen since 2017. It is a story all too common in the era of cartels.
The mother has actively been looking for her daughter ever since and has joined in association with a group of other mothers that also have had loved ones disappear. Collectives such as the one she belongs to are popular, numerous and supported by the Mexican government with accommodations, stipends and security details during every search.
The work is hard and, at times, dangerous especially when they travel to the countryside where there are signs of foul play. It is a labor of love for their children as well as an existential effort to find some kind of closure.
As of March 2026, the record shows that there are more than 130,000 family members that have disappeared in Mexico. The number of collectives searching for them is also numerous.
The mothers remind me of La Llorona that howls in the wind of the night by the river looking for her lost children. Many of us have heard her cries of anguish that ends only with the light of day.
This kind of thing is not as prevalent in the United States largely because we are mostly the users of drugs that provide the freight for cartels to do the dirty work somewhere else. Our 60 million drug users help pay for the pain inflicted on others around the world.
In a normal world, the mother we most relate to carries the tradition of nurturing our fantasies and consoling us when they are not realized. She is our earliest educator and enforcer of good behavior as well as the place of rest and recuperation when things go wrong.
In a talk to a Migrant Head Start early childhood program some years ago, I mentioned that my mother was my Head Start. She taught me how to read and write during what would have been my pre-school years.
I remember reading my first novel, The Count of Monte Cristo, the year I entered the first grade. She did not seem surprised at the time but did appear happy with her role in my scholarship.
Throughout my career and life until her passing away, mom was always there cheering my accomplishments, helping to solve problems and finding ways to make my failures not look so bad. Although she never pretended to understand me, she always found a way of saying the right thing at the right time.
Like so many others, I miss my mother and, at times, try to find ways to honor her memory. My debt to her grows with every passing day.
So, if you can be with your mother, do not hesitate to tell her that you love her and thank her for her blessings and the fact that she is with you. There is nothing better than a mom that loves unconditionally.
This year Mother’s Day falls on a Sunday. It is a great day to celebrate her life with her in the mix.
If she has passed away, there are flowers to be taken and a prayer of thanks at her graveside. Make Mother’s Day very personal.
The views expressed by David Conde are not necessarily the views of LaVozColorado. Comments and responses may be directed to News@lavozcolorado.com.
