Don't Pass It By

I'm preparing to leave for Nicaragua again tomorrow, which always makes me very contemplative.  A group of 20 will be travelling to work with AMOS Health and Hope, the Nicaraguan NGO I've been privileged to partner with for many years now. (read about their good work here).  With the research-based team of AMOS, we'll travel to a small community called El Bambu to work alongside locals installing water filters, learning the importance of dental hygiene, helping local woman learn crafts that might benefit them in starting micro-businesses, and other important activities that the community has identified as necessary.

As I was packing, I saw this collage of quotes that my daughter put together. Between seeing this and thinking about the trip, I was reminded how petty many of my struggles really are.  Sure, there are real issues in my family, like cancer and other illness, but the majority of issues I face day-to-day are nothing compared to the life and death struggle faced by the folks I'll work with in Nicaragua.  The truth is, many of the issues common in the workplace in the U.S. seem trivial in comparison, too. Funny (sad actually) the things people choose to argue about. So much time and energy is wasted each day - I'd rather live life forwards, as Kierkegaard said.

Tonight, among other things, I am thankful to be reminded that tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness and despair...but (are) manifestations of strength and resolution.