Being "Blessed"-LW

About a year ago I took a trip during spring break to Nicaragua, the second poorest country in the world.  I had no idea what to expect as far as where we would stay, who we would meet, or how nice the people there would be.  However, I did imagine that what I would take away from the experience would be an amazing amount of gratefulness for what has been handed to me my entire life.  I was shocked to find that this was not what I took from the experience, but rather realized that money, items, or status didn't determine how full or happy your life could be.

The more time we spent with the people there, the more I understood how carefree they were about time, schedules, physical items such as clothes, toys, or even their homes.  The things they truly care about are the people around them and how they contribute to their to community.  It hit me that I would take away much more from them than they would take from us.  

We worked digging holes and mixing concrete for five or six days straight with the help of their community to build a new home for a single mother with an autistic child.  To be truthful, they didn't need our help in this aspect whatsoever. They probably wasted more time trying to teach us how to do everything correctly than if they had just gotten it done.  During the working hours though, as I put the little spanish I know to use, I found it amazing that we began to understand what roles they played in their community and got to know all of their personalities. 

I went to Nicaragua expecting these people to have homes made of trash and to be horribly sad and misguided because of the conditions they lived in, but by the second day I was there, I realized this expectation was completely off and that they actually live the most in touch life with people and their surroundings. They are not sad, but are in general the happiest individuals I have ever met, and the kicker is is that there doesn't seem to be a reason.  

Well, no reason until I realized that "being blessed" had nothing to do with having money, status, or even wearing a different outfit every day.  It meant being able to be free to be who you are around people you love, regardless of your conditions.  

I expected to come home feeling grateful for a flushing toilet, a hot shower, and air conditioning, but I actually could have cared less about those luxuries after I had spent just a week in Nicaragua.  They don't mean anything in the grand scheme of things.  If I didn't feel like I had a loving family and a close community, I would take my chances and trade a Nicaraguan lifestyle for mine any day.  Belongings no longer play into how I feel as far as being happy, sad, or fulfilled, and this realization is now something I'm the most grateful for.