One of the sunny, but with comfortably cool days last week, I came across a sweet lovely old lady. Her name was Maureen and we were walking outside, about to cross paths. We said our hellos and found ourselves both admiring how gorgeous the day was considering that we’ve had quite a grumpy weather all week with cold, rain, hail and frost.
We stood in awe under the pink blossoms of a weeping cherry tree with the rays of the sun peaking between the flowers. She shared how excited she is for her upcoming trip to Thailand, which I related to because of my own upcoming trip to the Philippines. When I asked how long she was going to be in Thailand for, her face lit up with a beaming smile and said “I live there, I’m just here on vacation to visit my daughter”. Apparently, she moved from the US to Thailand 15 years ago. She then continued on to say that “it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life”. She shared how much she loves the beach, the plants, the fruits, the people… basically, everything about Thailand. I told her that I have never been to Thailand before, but I have heard so many great things about it and that I am very excited for her to be back home soon.
Before we went our separate ways, I just thought out loud and said “it must be amazing to live in paradise.” While in the mean time, I was thinking of a life I would have in the Philippines when given the opportunity and circumstance. Maureen smiled again and answered “Dear, paradise is in your heart.” And with that, we said our goodbyes and enjoyed our wonderful day.
I am always so fascinated about how much you learn from people you meet, especially people you don’t know. It was the first time Maureen and I met, and yet she has taught me something I never thought of before.
I’ve always aspired to have a place where I can find comfort and refuge, away from the world’s cruelty and negativity. That place for me is the beach. A place where I can see the endless sea and reach high towards the sky. When I’m there, I feel the connection with the vast world we have and how miniscule we are. It reminds me that our problems are even smaller than life itself. Seeing the horizon nudges me to stay between reaching for success and staying grounded at the same time. This is probably the reason why I make sure that our home looks more like a beach house. The little shells, beach paintings and beach tone colors brings me to my paradise.
With paradise in my heart… I can bring paradise with me wherever I may be. Thanks to Maureen.
How about you? Where is your paradise?