Sunday, February 7, 2010


This was my view earlier today. Playa Del Carmen. Beautiful don't you think?
Warm Sun. White sand. Blue water. Nice Breeze. Paradise.
My brother Andy is here visiting so we drove the 45 minutes or so, down south to Playa. We did an official visit on behalf of the stake primary ( that's my calling in church these days) and then headed for tacos, and to the beach.
It occurred to me that three years ago today I had a much different view of Mexico.
No sun. White Embassy. Blue uniforms. Cold Breeze. Hell.
I stood in the same spot across the street from the embassy scared and staring at the same little door for eight hours watching one face at time walk out. Some triumphant, but mostly worried or angry faces emerged. Justino's face was a color that I had never seen before. A fallen ashen countenance that made me know immediately that something was very wrong.
I could have never imagined on the scary surreal day, that my reality in Mexico would be the living under the breeze of the exotic caribbean.
Not that life is so exotic here. In fact mostly I would say it is quite the opposite. It occurred to me that there is more than meets the eye with that old saying
'Life is a Beach'
And especially so of our journey since that pivotal day three years ago.
It is immense and moves by the hand of God, just as the tides and the waves.
It is easy to get dirty sand seems to find it's way into every nook and cranny.
Sunburn, dry skin, tangled hair are a given if certain precautions are not taken.
There are alot of people around, all interesting but mostly strangers. The company of those who aren't is a real treasure.
It is really fun to be there for a while, but pretty soon you just want to go home.
Mostly It's all about how you approach the day. If you show up prepared for the possible ills of the beach, and focus on the enchantment of just being there,
the experience truly is paradise.