mango.

this story is one of self-reflection and growth.

it is an excerpt from a letter i wrote to a dear friend of mine. 

as I went for a run with two friends after a grueling day of presentations and training…I couldn’t help but to feel the release of stress and embrace my blessings as I looked around me at the beautiful landscape:

palm trees bearing coconuts, avocado trees, hibiscus flowers, horses, chickens and their chicks, the light breeze that caressed my face as I ran, the grey clouds that had begun to accumulate above my head…it all brought me a sense of calm.

then it started to rain. the 3 of us embraced it and continued to run and feel the cool water as it was a spiritual cleanse of sorts. on the way home from our run we stopped at the host home of another girl in our group who is living with a traditional Mayan family. we talked to her and toured her house and room, her mom brought out some sliced mango on a plate to share with us and while we ate the sweet and ripe fruit, my friend and I made a comment about how we felt emotional because thats just how great the mango tasted at that moment. at that same moment, her host mom brought out a mango for each of us to take home with us and thats when my friend and I just started to cry.

the message is that we realized that the emotion came from the fact that we experienced that something so small and simple could literally turn our day around and bring us so much joy. 

as I reflect on such a true moment, i pray to keep that value in small things. to continue to appreciate the beauty that has been placed in the Earth. i will embrace as this journey keeps revealing to me, layer by layer, that a part of true happiness comes from discovering things that are completely opposite of what we sometimes become accustomed to seeking in order to relate to those around us. i never want to strive for the things I once thought worth striving for because there is so much more...

-S