This afternoon I thought it would be great to step outside and sit on the grass and just ground myself, I feel like the world has been moving much faster than I can keep up with and I just needed a moment of pause. We have a beautiful area in our neighborhood by the canal (but for the sake of this spiritual moment we’ll call it a river). 

I grabbed a towel and took it out with me, set up my little meditation spot, and got comfortable. I took a deep breath in, held it for a moment, and released, allowing my muscles to relax. 

My mind went completely silent. 

Then, like clock-work, I hear the distinct clicking noise of what we call Loli’s “Off-Road” cane. 

Click. 

Click click. 

Click. 

“Que haces?” ‘What are you doing?’ she asks tapping me with the bottom of her cane. 

I looked up at her and took a deep breath in, because I know she doesn’t mean harm, she’s just curious and can’t stand seeing us alone. Her timing is just…impeccable. 

“Te quedaste dormida?” ‘You fell asleep?’ She follows up the question, not waiting for my answer, and drops her cane wiggling until she finds her way into sitting down next to me, a motion that I will pay for later when I need to pick her up. 

“No, estaba…meditating?” I don’t know the word for meditating in Spanish. I can’t even pretend. 

“Rezando?” ‘Praying!?” She says in a gasp, “te dejo tranquila.” ‘I’ll leave you alone” she says and stays quiet for a little while. 

I closed my eyes again, took another deep breath, and accepted that she was going to be part of this now odd moment. 

Two to three minutes go by and I can feel her staring at me, “ay, que tanto resas?” ‘hey, why are you praying so much?’ “En que te metistes que te dieron tanta penitencia?” ‘what trouble did you get into that you have to do so much penance?’ 

I opened one eye and looked at the wrinkled smile forming on her lips, she was teasing me, she pat my hand for a moment, “No se que te pasa…pero no hay nada que un cafecito no te arregla, ayudame aqui.” ‘I don’t know what’s wrong with you, but there is nothing a little coffee can’t heal, come, help me up.’

I helped this small frail woman up, she groaned and leaned into me a bit as I steadied her, handing her the cane. Then I followed her up to her apartment.

And you know what?

She was right. 

A little coffee, and some Loli time heals everything.