People and Places

John Lennon opens In My life by singing...

There are places I'll remember

I will remember this quaint "beach home" in Coco.  For the past two weeks, I found a place where my soul could find some rest.  It was much needed after a nomadic year.  I was without a home since leaving KC for Florida with Jen on March 21.

Here in Coco I've enjoyed the beach and weather and found a rhythm to work and relax.  I've gone from feeling unsafe & at risk to feeling at home.  It is noteworthy how quickly my soul has shifted.  And it is because of the people I met.

John starts off his song by remembering places in his life, but the song is about people.  It is about the people who come and go in your life.  I'm a gigantic Beatles fan, and In My Life has always been one of my favorite songs because people define us.  

I'm thinking about my "host family".  Alfonso and his wife and their daughter Lucrecia.  Marco and his wife.  William.  Paula.  They made me feel so welcome.

I'm thinking about Alba and her son and his wife and their son.  When I first met this Columbian family, I was scared I was being scammed.  But then I realized this country is filled with good people.

There have been others...both from Costa Rica and from other countries...who have made me feel welcome during these first two weeks. 

And then there is Alex.  Our stories connected us, and because of that, I found a friend who understood what my soul was feeling after such a devasting year.  She understood the carnage inside.

Alex recognized I needed to feel safe and connected to heal, and thus she has offered to host me in her San Jose home.  It is an incredibly generous offer and symbolic of what I'm experiencing in Costa Rica. I packed my bags today and leave Coco for San Jose.

My soul understands why my grandmother went to the beach to heal in the 1980's and why my uncle went to the beach to heal in the 2000's.  Now it is my turn.  I'm shedding tears.  For both the people who came before and the people who are here with me now.

John ends his song by singing...

In my life I'll love you more

John brilliantly captures the tension our heart feels with the transitions of life.  People come and go.  We don't let go, but we must love the present more.