As I embarked on an unforgettable adventure this week with International Medical Relief to Upala, Costa Rica, things did not go anywhere near as planned. In fact, our trip was cut short, our clinics shut down, and the time spent with these people was not nearly enough. However, amongst the chaos, the incredible team I got the opportunity to be a part of became family. Not only did my team feel like family, but my family extended to the guy at the fruit stand that gave us fresh coconuts everyday, the patients that came into the clinic, the kids that were overjoyed to play a short game of soccer, and the people who invited us into their home that is Upala. They all quickly became uniquely special to me.
Something our team repeatedly talked about, amongst the Coronavirus chaos, was the idea of the world ending. We chuckled about the idea that we were enjoying our last days in "paradise" while everyone else was scrambling into self-quarantine. Now, I'm bringing this up not because I believe the world is ending, I promise. I'm bringing it up because it got me thinking about how if we truly were living our last days, I would've been proud. I would've been proud of the people I got to spend it with, proud of the work I was given the chance to do, and proud of the lens I got to peer at the world through.
The privilege I had to truly be with these people in their community was something that I will forever be grateful for. There is light in dark times and places and they proved it without even trying. They reminded me to live, to love, and most importantly to always give. Not just give things, but give compassion and appreciation without the weight of expectations. I spent most of the week fitting patients into reading glasses. As they put them on, the instant smile that spread across their face when they realized they had the ability to see was when I realized I wasn't seeing clearly either. I saw in their eyes the ability to always be happy with the beauty of the simplest things in life. They know how to see others with their hearts and not just their eyes, which is something I hope achieve one day at the same level.
This team and the people of Upala filled me with knowledge I could never repay. Our experiences together will be something I will treasure for a lifetime. So my question to you now is: what would you do if it was your last month, week, day? Would you laugh, cry, tell the people you love you love them, go on an adventure, leave nothing unsaid and nothing undone? All I can say is after this journey "Now that I think about it, maybe I should always live like the world is gonna end".