The Beauty All Around

Beauty is all around us. 
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Its striking how often that beauty goes unrecognized.

The other day I was running in Lima. I ran up a long ramp that exits from the beach and ascends 200 meters to the ridge above the coast. The vast majority of the time I am on that run course, I see very few people. In the summer months, January through April, there tend to be more runners and walkers – as vacations abound. 
 
That day, a father and his son were running together. The boy, not more than 8 years old, was trudging alongside his father with a look of pained exhaustion. The father, for his part, had an equally uncomfortable look of frustration. 
 
I caught eyes with the father. I gave him a thumbs up. I said, “Wow, this is excellent. So cool.” His demeanor instantly shifted. He reciprocated my gesture and ran on.
 
Seeing the father and son on a run. Engaging with the father. It was beautiful. Little things like this give me great reason to pause and re-remember – the most important things in life come from relationship. From connection.
 
Our work, it’s connecting work. This past couple of weeks we’ve had a group of students from St. Olaf College. We’ve spent time helping them gain an experience through our unique practice of global public health – through the practice of connection. They’ve been immersed in the community of Alto Cayma. They’ve spent time with our partners. They’ve participated in our some of our project work. Whatever they did, we hope they will walk away from their experience with us having a better understanding of the beauty that exists when we invite ourselves to be in connection, in relationship, with others. We hope their time with Health Bridges gave them an opportunity to engage and experience the beauty that exists all around us. 

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