Cinco Pesos?

Tienes cinco pesos?

Que?

Cinco pesos.

That's all he wanted.

5 pesos.

The young boy of 11 had seen us arriving in the wooden row boat and had come running. His face was serious and curious and his eyes followed our every movement as we got out of the boat and walked towards our car.

Cinco pesos. It's less than 5 cents.

I only had a few big bills in my hand that I needed to give to our guides who took us to Los Haitises so I said in my broken Spanish, "No tengo. Es por hombres."

As I walked back to the car I felt his eyes pore through my back. I wanted so badly to give him something so when I got to the car I sifted through my bag and found a one dollar bill.

My flip-flops shuffled through the unpaved lot and I kept eye contact as I approached the boy.

I reached out my hand and asked, "Quieres es?"

What a beautiful smile he had.

I have never seen someone's face light-up the way this young boy's did and I have never seen one dollar mean so much to anyone.

It was bittersweet and I felt both enlivened and saddened that I had the power to transform this boy's day with one dollar bill.

This is tragic.

This is poverty.

Back to Basics

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While walking in Central Park I was struck for the first time in my life by the beauty and blessing in the lack of color that the winter months bring to the world. The winter allows us a break from the intense sensory stimulation of the other months in a lot of ways and gives us the opportunity and reminds us to move away from our distractions and re-focus our minds, hearts and souls.


The sky and ground are white and the trees are brown and bare

Stillness and simplicity mark the world of winter

"Stop," it says

The distractions are gone, it's time pay attention

There are no luscious, green swaying trees or magnificent, brightly hued flowers to marvel at

There are no dogs barking on the street or the squeals of children playing in the bright sun

There is just you

Your steamy breath

Your careful steps

Your silent thoughts

Walk carefully over the white powder so you don't slip

And make sure to breathe the fresh air as you walk out the door

It's time to get back to the basics of breathing and walking

To find peace and stillness within as there is peace and stillness without

To once again become centered within yourself

So you can grow from within instead of reacting from without

Use the silence to reconnect

Just breathe and walk back to your basics