Ordinary Things

When I first started writing this I felt discouraged, because my experience here has felt really ordinary. I haven’t had any earth shattering experiences in the past two days. At first, I was frustrated by this. I felt like there were a lot of huge moments and cases I was missing out on because I was somewhere else. But then I got out of my own head and remembered that that is the point of this entire trip. 

We have been training, learning and expanding our understanding of the community we are serving and their culture for the past nine months so as to create a permanent change that helps the community more than it makes us feel good. We are supposed to slip seamlessly into the ordinary life that is already happening and then slip back out. When reflecting on this, I realized I have encountered extraordinary things, despite them first not appearing to be so in my mind.

These things include making a child laugh until they tip over backwards onto the exam table. Drawing with chalk on sidewalks, rocking baby dolls to sleep and putting bows in a beautiful little girl’s hair. How much pride a little boy has when presenting me with little rocks he has hand chosen for me; how a little girl patiently entertains her rambunctious little brother while shyly answers my questions about her favorite movie and food. These experiences have reminded me to find joy in the everyday mundane, and see that it actually isn’t so mundane. 

Being in Guatemala has called me out of my comfort zone and into life. I have been forced to let go of my own immature expectations and enjoy the reality of what is happening around me. I have started to fall in love with this place and the ordinarily extraordinary people I am surrounded by. 
Molly Neton