Faith in the Fita

It finally happened. Today as I was exiting the bathroom, my fita do Senhor do Bonfim (my little ribbon) got tugged on the bathroom handle and fell off my wrist. I know the majority of you are wondering 1. what the heck is this little ribbon I am talking about 2. why am I dedicating an entire blog to this ribbon.

The Fita do Bonfim was a gift given to me by a local in a favela while I was traveling in Sao Paolo, Brazil. The 47 centimeter long (yes there is significance in the length), about quarter inch wide yellow ribbon was wrapped around my left wrist. I was told to make three wishes while the ribbon was knotted three times. No wish will be granted unless the ribbon is permitted to wear until it disintegrates naturally, and falls from the wrist. If you remove or cut the ribbon yourself the wishes will not—never?—come true and invites bad luck and misfortune upon you. If you plan to stay the course and leave the ribbon on, it's a serious commitment. The typical fita is rumored to fall off after a handful of months-even years.

My fita has become part of me. Every time I looked down at my wrist I was reminded of my travels, my future and my dreams. It reminded me of what I value which lied in my three wishes. It was part of me for nearly one and a half years and in this time it turned into a stringy little yellow thread that meant more to me than any sparkling diamonds or shiny silver and gold.

Today I was actually talking about how old and ratty it looked and how I was so glad it was still tied to me-hanging on a hair, but still there.

And now it is gone. I should be excited because that means my wishes should come true, but I feel like part of me is missing.

I feel naked.

There is a long tradition of the fita in Brazil. Over a 200 year old tradition. Faith in the fita derives from African religious practices which acknowledge that supernatural powers can exist within objects. They come in different colors that represent different things. Mine was yellow, which represents Oxum, the divinity of rivers, love, feminine beauty, fertility, and art.

So I have taken the loss of my fita as a sign. The end of one chapter in my life and the start of something new. Is it fate that it fell off a week before I leave the country for two years?

New beginnings. My dreams coming to life.