I love Antigua. I really think I could live here. It has everything I yearn for on a level just below surface….mountains, cool nights requiring sweatshirts and blankets, volcanos that guard the city and remind me of a living earth beneath, frequent earthquakes that bring adventure to day to day life, culture around every corner, bountiful produce, wonderful cafes, some of the friendliest people on earth, a cultural appreciation for things beautiful, and a community of people that are active in each other's lives. However, there has been one thing that has left me feeling a little claustrophobic and frustrated. I can't see beyond these walls. The streets are quaint with cobblestone, colorful walls, and hanging baskets, but until you get up a mountain a bit you can't see beyond a few yards it seems. As you can tell I'm not from the city.
When we have been behind the walls, it often opens up to beautiful gardens (meticulously cared for and overflowing with life), charming cafes, and hidden treasures. So why hide? I know…this is Guatemala. Not the safest place on earth. Protection. Here the philosophy is protect on the outside and cultivate beauty on the inside (at least in their architecture) as opposed to the States where it seems to be impress the neighbors on the outside and skimp on the inside.
I have to say, I might be guilty of the latter mentality. I am not advocating walls, but as "builders" by nature Richard and I discussed what it would look like to build a house here. It brought our attention to the paradox shift. The money, creativity, and effort would go in to the interior with the most simple approach to "curb appeal." This made me ask a few questions of myself on a deeper level...Am I cultivating beauty inside my house, both physically or spiritually? Am I attending to the heart of my children and not just their behavior? (ouch). I don't suggest we put up walls but I do suggest we focus on where time is spent most and on the parts of life that last beyond these boundaries of mortality on earth. Just something to ponder…
All is well here with us. We have 2 more weeks in Antigua before we head back to Belize. It's been great. We've learned a bit more Spanish. We will be back! We miss you all!!
