Harvesting Magic in May

Ahh, spring! The sun continues to shine and the temperatures skyrocket all with the mixed blessing that soon the rain will come. There is a frenzy that supersedes common sense this time of year. An inner compass that knows the routine will soon change as the weather shifts so why not do it all now?

Here in Guatemala May starts off with great velocity as the spring frenzy reaches a pinnacle of energy. May 1 is Labor Day and like many other national holidays a great excuse to celebrate and party!

La Antigua Guatemala will welcome crowds and people will be enjoying themselves in myriad ways. Amidst that energy is an important moment that sets the stage for this month of many shifts. It is the moment to simply say thank you to those who work so hard behind the scenes all year long.

Labor Day is a hard-earned holiday that came at a great cost. It is the workers’ day and not uncommon for many who would not normally speak to share their concerns about labor and their hopes for the future. May offers us the gift of looking forward if we chose to claim it.

With the bounty of rain comes vitality and growth. Guatemala is magical during the rainy season. Arising to gloriously clear and sunny skies is quite beautiful. You then watch the day magically transform as the clouds gently build, bringing a cooling shower in the afternoon. Often those showers end just in time to enjoy a refreshing evening highlighted by the scent of the flowers so gloriously basking in their watery heaven. For many of us, it is our favorite time of year!

As you stroll any street in Antigua and gaze into any courtyard there is a strong sense of beauty. Regardless of where you travel in Guatemala, natural beauty abounds. Yet, often forgotten are those talented beings diligently tending to that beauty every day.

Those of us who live here tend to laugh that quite literally if you stick it in the ground it will grow! While that is certainly true, if you offer love and attention to that new seedling, it will do more than grow, it will flourish! We have watched a gardener spend hours tracking the entire length of vine to find the exact place to cut to ensure that blossoms are ever present.

This is the greater gift of May. We are reminded that there is a difference between simply living and flourishing. We get to remember that if you offer love and attention to everything you are growing, it will flourish! This is true for every aspect of your life.

So as you receive that great Guatemalan service at a restaurant, or notice a gardener lovingly tending to the flowers, or the friends who are always there even when you forget they are, perhaps this May you can offer a simple thank you and enjoy the harvest of your kindness. That is where the real magic begins!

Sri and Kira have authored several books and are the owners of TOSA La Laguna. Email: office@tosaspa.com and www.LakeAtitlanSpa.com