We have this moment

It is now a few days after publishing the article below and I am feeling a bit chagrined by my attitude in it. A bit of superiority. perhaps.  Once I realized that hint of condescension, I was tempted to take it down. To delete it. But then I thought maybe I should leave it up as an attempt to be honest. That’s what I had in mind in the first place - to be honest with my “struggles” with the hard stuff. So I guess it can also be a monument to honesty about my arrogance that surfaces at times.

By the way, I think that Dominicans are amazing people. I am inspired by them in so many ways.

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We live in a tropical paradise this winter.

We don’t have to deal with ice and snow.

What an amazing privilege.

What a good job my man did in finding an affordable spot for us to live for the season.

I am grateful.

I appreciate the privilege. 

I enjoy the setting - or most of it!

It’s not hard to find things to celebrate about this time.

But…

It’s not perfect.

There are frustrations.

There are stressors.

There are some difficult things about living in a third-world country.*

Things that are not fun - and not even healthy.

Scary things. Dangerous things.

What to do about those things?

Complain about them?

Sometimes that’s tempting - and sometimes complaint and whining just pops out.

But then I feel so badly. 

It feels incongruent to complain about ANYthing while living in a place where many Michiganders would love to be. 

It seems like I dare not speak of struggle. Of hard things.

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Then again, that’s life.

Wherever we are. Wherever we live. Whatever our season in life.

There are good things and there are difficult things.

Perhaps the disparity is more obvious in a place like this. 

A land of extremes. 

A land of contrasts.

A land where riches and luxury are juxtaposed with poverty and pain.

A land where rich people can often be sheltered and pampered, but where the general population lives with a great lack of comfort and convenience - and even a lack of sanitation.

A land where middle-class ex-pats may live with a little of both - enjoying many of the benefits that come with a beautiful tropical area but also choosing to put up with the not-so-nice aspects of life here. 

And it is a choice. For us. Which is a luxury in itself when you think about it.

For those stuck in poverty here (as is true elsewhere) there often is no choice. There is no way out. No escape. Things are just the way they are. 

And so people make the only choices they can make - to build a life for themselves here. Because this is where they are. 

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But we have a choice. 

While we don’t have the resources to make some of the choices that other ex-pats have made, we do have the choice to live here in a relatively humble abode for a season. And that is a luxury that few in the world have.

We have the choice to be here for a season and then to go back to the States where life is easier - albeit colder - whenever we wish. Where we can buy pretty much anything we need. Where we don’t have to worry about critters invading our private space. Where life is generally safe and secure. Where we can be healthy - or find medical care when we need it.

With so many choices available to me, it’s not too hard to realize that I also have a choice when it comes to how I handle the things that ARE difficult here. The things that are stressful and annoying and nasty.

I can choose to keep things in perspective.

I can choose to be grateful for the experience.

I can choose to celebrate the good stuff and to accept the not-so-good as a matter of fact.

I can also choose to find ways to be a blessing to this country and her people. I don’t always know what that means, but I can always be alert to possibilities. 

Maybe it’s just a matter of treating people with respect and kindness.

Maybe it is taking time to ask about what matters to them.

Certainly I can express appreciation for their hard work.

I can choose to honor them and the beauty of their culture.

Sure enough; I have lots of choices.

And for this moment I celebrate that luxury.

And in difficult moments, I may indulge myself in a different kind of luxury. 

At those moments I just might let myself long for the comfort and convenience of hame. 

The safety and security. 

Hugs from our little cuties. 

And I will let myself count down the weeks until we get there.

But then I’ll go back to enjoying the moments here.

Now.

While we have them.

Because you see; we do have this moment.

Today.

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* In the opinion of this slightly arrogant American who was feeling a little worn down by culture stress at the time she wrote this.

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Also after the fact - as in a few days later:
AND now I offer one of my favorite stories as a counterpart to this post.
Click here to read it.

So much for American superiority!