Who taught you to read and write? How did you survive the moments of loss or disappointment in your childhood? Who took care of you when you were sick or needing special attention?
Many years ago I went to one of the poorest places in San Salvador, a neighborhood in the capital called San Ramon. I was shocked by the level of violence, poverty and abuse I witnessed. I was embarrassed by the way we allow other human beings to leave in conditions that we wouldn’t consider right for our own pets. During that visit I also witnessed beautiful stories of courage and survival, and I was inspired to act by the people I met. One of my favorites was a teacher, Maritza Castillo. She worked on a small school at the center of San Ramon called Centro Hogar, and her personality and sense of humor were contagious. She loved the kids she worked with and helped me to understand the challenges they were facing in the community.
When I decided to create Programa Velasco (Programavelasco.org) to help those children, she was one of the people that inspired me. When we provided with funding for a micro-loan program to help women to create their own businesses in the community, she was part of the group that helped to train those women. Maritza also dedicated herself to create and refine Centro Hogar’s curriculum so the children could get the best education possible. She inspired me and many of her children to be better, more giving and more grateful.
Maritza passed away suddenly on February 26th from Meningitis but her joy and creative spirit remain in my heart and in the many hearts she touched in her life.
You might try this practice:
- Sit with your back straight and focus on your breathing.
- As you are breathing in and out, ask yourself, ‘who inspired me to be better, more giving and grateful?’
- Try to remember the different moments of your life, when somebody else stepped in and help you to be who you are. Watch those moments with an open heart, with gratefulness and compassion for others and yourself.
- When you finish, write down your insights. Write about the power of inspiring community, of the joy that comes when receiving compassion from others. Notice the way you could affect others and help create a better world through the actions in your own life.
Peace,
Juan