This week Bella and I had the joy of having dinner with our sweet host mom, Vicky. This is a rare occurrence, as she works 6-7 days a week, leaving at 12:45 in the afternoon and returning home around 2am each day.
The limited time we do get to spend with Vicky is full of such joy and laughter. Amidst a challenging life, she is always there to greet us, with the biggest smile on her face, and ask the details of our day.
Towards the end of dinner, she pulled out her little coin purse and put 3 pennies on the kitchen table. She was so proud.
Through our language barrier, we were able to understand that she was asking how much they were worth. Bella and I exchanged a sweet look of both compassion and heartbreak, as we were about to have explain the little worth of those 3 pennies.
Bella took out a $1 bill that she had, in attempt to explain that 100 pennies fit into a $1 bill…and then to explain that $1 USD is equivalent to roughly 7 bolivianos (to give you a reference – a chocolate bar is about 12-15 bolivianos, bus ride is anywhere between 1 and 3 bolivianos, a large water bottle on the street is 5 bolivianos).
The conversation ended with Vicky chuckling at herself, understanding the extremely little worth…but along with that chuckle, I saw a subtle hint of disappointment.
As we sat there, Bella told Vicki she could keep the $1 bill.
Joy. The biggest smile in the world. Overwhelming humility. Disbelief. You would’ve thought she’d just received a million dollars.
Bella and I began to wash the dishes, which is our normal routine after dinner each night. As I glanced around the kitchen to see if we were missing any dishes, I caught one of the most beautiful sights – Vicky was waving the $1 bill to her 2-year-old, saying “soy rico, soy rico!” (“I’m rich, I’m rich!”). Her eyes met mine and she gave me a modest, simple smile.
I turned back towards the sink and let the situation resonate with me. Wow.
She was so grateful. So thankful. So humbled. So excited.
I felt sorry for her for a split second. Really sad. But then as I got to thinking….I realized, Vicky really is rich..in what actually matters..in what we should all desire. She is rich in wisdom. In love. In compassion. In her relationships. She is strong. She is admirable. She is appreciative. She is a fighter. And the most beautiful thing about it is that she doesn’t even notice. Through a life filled with challenges and having so little, in the world’s eyes, she remains content.
What a light Vicky has been in Bella’s and my lives this month. If she can live her life, here, with such pure joy, I certainly can. In honor of sweet Vicky, this is one of my prayers for myself this year…to focus on joy regardless of circumstance. To appreciate the small things…
“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” (Philippians 4:12)
