L'Shana Tova! 

This was one of a kind birthday, made so special by Glen, my outstanding journey companion, and the incredible, and I mean amazing, full of love, team of the House of Healing – locally known as La Casa de Curación…

A week before, I was missing all these people I had said goodbye to in San Lucas Tolimán, by lake Atitlan… 

Reflecting on my experience, I realized what I had left behind was greater and more beautiful, stronger than I had even realized… 

I created a Whatsapp group to tell them how highly I thought of them and how much I was missing them.

I followed these guys in their work but from week 2, I quickly had to slow down: I couldn’t emotionally handle what they took on!

From one home to another, we were meeting malnutrition, diabetis, violence, all wrapped up in great poverty and often unsanitary conditions… 

Yet, they kept their smile on, hugging and listening, handing food and emergency money, explaining X-rays pictures and why action had to be taken immediately and how they offered to help…

And then, we moved on to a birthday celebration or a proud visit of a Guatemalan marvel, with laughter and life, life, life…

Glen said yes to picking up our “protégées” and dear friends, so we could celebrate beautiful little Marisol’s birthday along with mine, and he carried our friend Liliana out of her wheelchair in torrential rain to seat her in the dryness of the car faster.

Marisol and Liliana played the game, Liliana agreeing to trust us and to get out of her comfort zone and wheelchair to see if there could be something good coming out of getting all soaked in the mountain rain for a birthday party…

And finally, the entire team of the mission cooking a giant Guatemalan traditional dish all morning to feed us all…

Even Zill made it under the table posing for the photo…

Throughout the day, I checked my Facebook profile, seeing birthday wishes piling, my Whatsapp, where I received more and more hilarious videos from friends and family for my birthday…

This morning I feel really good. The sort of good I haven’t felt in a long time. 

This morning, I feel like embracing the goodness I am seeing, and I am thankful for even SEEING the goodness around me.

I want to thank the clouds for being so thick and moving so fast in Guatemala, and for unceasingly hiding giant mountains and volcanoes as if they never existed before revealing them in breathtaking views… 

And it makes me feel I might be learning to live with depression. 

Or I am reminded that life is ups and downs, and that it takes sometimes to just live through a down, however long or tough, to see the magnificence of the mountain again.

Thank you for the birthday wishes, amen to all of them, and to a most meaningful and beautiful new year for all of us!