Day 314 - Garden Path

Thought of the day: I met a very special woman for coffee this morning. She is actively involved in a micro-lending not-for-profit that gives out loans to poor Guatemalan women who would not otherwise be able to get loans through traditional lenders. Like so many other people who devote themselves selflessly to international charities, she has no personal connection to the country. She visited Guatemala some years ago as a tourist and witnessed the poverty and suffering firsthand. The story of a local woman pulled herself out of poverty enough to send her children to school really left her an indelible impression. The size of the loan she took out to have profoundly changed the lives of her family - a paltry 150USD every six months - left her an even deeper impression. After that trip, she got involved in the not-for-profit that gave the woman the loans and had been involved every since. There is a long list of needy corners in the world, perhaps including the very corner of earth we live in, and much of the need would not have been filled without people like her who are determined to make tangible and sustainable differences. I admire her perseverance as much as I admire her kindness and compassion. It was a refreshing and inspiring meeting and gave me another dose of hope for our future.

Photo of the day:

Lila walking on the path in Jasmine's piano teacher's garden.  Where will it lead to?  We often take unpredictable paths in our lives which can define us and make us who we are. They are by no means walks in the garden but they make our lives exciting, meaningful and worthwhile.