Raul Tovar – Co-founder of Noche de Cuentos Project

Raul Tovar
During my six month trip in Mexico, a special moment took place in a magical mountain village along the Sierra Madre mountain range in Oaxaca. My younger brother was visiting me during my stay in Mexico and after some eventful days in Puerto Vallarta, Tepic, Guadalajara, and Oaxaca City we both needed some peace.
We bought our tickets to the village and on the ride there I decided to listen to a podcast my brother had recommended. The woman on the podcast was vulnerably sharing the story of her past relationships and what she had learned. Her rawness cut right through me. The rest of the ride I was emotional and pensive.

Sometimes it is difficult to be vulnerable with those closest to us, but it can also be the most rewarding.
When we arrived we checked into our rustic rooms and went out for a hike. I brought up the podcast to my brother and we talked openly about the difficult breakups we had each experienced in the past year. At one point we were both crying and we spontaneously hugged in the middle of the woods. It was the longest hug I have ever given my brother. Sometimes it is difficult to be vulnerable with those closest to us, but it can also be the most rewarding.
As the evening clouds started rolling in we headed back into town. We sat down at a homey restaurant overlooking the Sierra Madre and ordered a large bowl of mushroom soup. It is the most healing bowl of soup I have ever had.
More Stories
Stories
The Things That Do Not Burn
Last December The Hearth and De La Raíz worked together to offer an evening of stories and songs in the wake of the Almeda fires. Focused on tales of resiliency, The Things That Do Not Burn/Las Cosas Que No Se Queman presented six stories by local Spanish and English speaking residents.
Matilde Arias
Matilde Arias and her mother always been close. When she was 12, her mom was diagnosed with cancer. Chemotherapy saved her life, but after entering remission, she had a stroke. As her mother worked to regain her mobility, Matilde took on the role as the second adult...
Bianca Ballará, First-Gen Cuban American, Latinx Activist, Artist
Bianca BallardMusic, dancing, food, and family were wealth for my grandparents, teachings I was exposed to at a very young age. All of my grandparents were campesinos (farmers). When I remember them, I think about the Cuban sugar cane fields all sharp green-rising...