In loving memory of Basil

I started my day understanding that David, a dear high school colleague of mine, is no longer with us on this earth. His journey is a story about being loved without measure by the people around him. Today I decided to consciously honor him for the beautiful human being he was and still is in my heart.

I allowed myself to sleep in and I woke up today only at 10AM. I thought that it was already Monday and I started to ask details about the visit to the salt mines. Only to realize that it was Sunday and three of the women with whom I live with were already gone for a walk on the mountain.

I was upset because they did not tell me that they were planning to go, as I would have joined them. Nonetheless, I was determined to make the most of my last days here in Kuartango. Vipassana helped me not to be upset anymore and to find solutions towards what I want.

Furthermore, when I found out that David is making his way up to heavens, I knew I wanted to have this time to be by myself, on my own, to go to the top of the mountain and just listen to music. His sudden departure made me realize how beautiful and fragile life is.

So I asked my Polish breaksister Hania to show me how to follow the hiking trail on the map, the hike which goes around the peak line of the mountains behind our house. When she finished explaining, I was confident that I am not going to lose my way.

And I also asked Natasha to lend me her external battery. @Alex at first I wrote borrow and then I remembered the lesson from Natasha and corrected myself. Amazing how much we learn from each other and how fast we implement.

I am very proud that I challenged myself to go alone on the mountain for the very first time. And this is due to the beautiful gift David has given me, to fully live and be present in this day. Be myself, my true self, above anything else!

After I came back from the mountain, I exchanged my room with Nunzia. I was talking with Luis on the phone I needed to end to conversation so that I can start with the moving and he asked me why are we switching rooms.

And I told him that for the 6 women living in our house, we have 4 single rooms and a double room and since we wanted everybody to have equal time spent in a single room, every week two of us would switch to live in the double room.

When Luis heard this he was impressed, by the way we decided to proceed so that everybody enjoys this experience as much as possible. He then proceed to say: ” Women should be ruling the world. There would be so much collaboration and everybody will be taken care of.

Note to self: When I really want it, I can find the most beneficial solution for everybody involved. When I take care of others, others take care of me. Ubuntu!

After changing the room, I did some Portuguese lessons, I wanted to advance in my league. But then I thought about the talk I had with Luis on the phone and I remembered that I wanted to talk with my parents as well.

So I chose instead of doing more language lessons, to connect with the ones whom I cannot thank enough that they brought me into this world: my mom and my dad. We had a sincere, deep, loving and caring talk, I really love them a lot and David has showed me how much I want to be with them for as much time possible.

Because I can still enjoy their presence in my life and on this world and this is one of the most beautiful gifts life is still giving me, day by day, and I am not taking it for granted anymore.

By the time I finished talking with my parents, my beautiful Break sisters had already cooked and set up the table for dinner. At almost every dinner together with the women with whom I received the Break Fellowship 2022, the European female entrepreneurs fellowship in Spain, I proposed to them that we do a blessing before eating.

At tonight’s dinner, I thanked Natasha for making a delicious vegan salad and setting up the table, Nunzia for making foccacia for us, it was the first time she tried to make this recipe, Anja for preparing a salad of tasty potatoes and to Alex for making us a dessert – vegan brownies, it would have been sugar-free if the cocoa powder didn’t have sugar, but she said that she would take it into account next time so that I can eat as well.

How did I feel? Sustained, without having to contribute in an equal amount but contribute equally when I realize that we all do things from the heart for our family and that we truly live together the Ubuntu philosophy.

I thank Renata Petre for helping me to connect with gratefulness before going to sleep. I now see how much I have recently managed to incorporate gratitude and appreciation into my everyday life, and this is also because I am surrounded by absolutely exceptional people!

And I thank myself for the proposal to watch Samsara together, an absolutely wonderful documentary about people, life, death, human nature, the cyclicity of life and and so many important social causes to discuss.

You can find it here:

https://www.documentarymania.com/video/Samsara/

This is the invitation message I sent to the Break women , you can copy it and organise a screening with your friends and family and take this opportunity to discuss about life and death:

`Hey ladies, we are inviting you this evening at 20:45 to watch a movie that I am proposing.

The movie is called Samsara and it is one of the most beautiful movies I know about human existence, life on this earth and the beauty of life, with the good and the bad.

See you soon! 😘

Samsara is a non-narrative documentary by Ron Fricke exploring the marvels of the world and the richness of the human experience. Filmed across twenty-five countries over a five-year period and acclaimed for its mesmerising visuals and music, it captures both the tedious and the miraculous and the greatest depths of human spirituality.

Samsara is a Sanskrit word meaning ‘the ever-turning wheel of life’, an expression which perfectly describes the interconnectedness of the human lifecycle. Combining scenes of both destruction and renaissance, the film illustrates the ties between mankind and nature and how our lifecycle is in tune with the rhythm of the earth.`

I invited also the rest of the women living in the other house if they want to watch the movie with us. Since they were still considering whether to work or come join us to watch Samsara, this is the message I sent to them:

“Today one of my highschool colleagues died. I am telling you this because last time I talked with him, I have the impression he was sharing that he is working too much. And so, on the walk I had on the mountain, by myself, I thought what his departure is bringing into my life.

And what is alive in me right now is the desire and the unshakeable awareness that I want to enjoy life, as my way to honour the time I am still given every day.

Yes, this means working on the projects which fulfill me, yes this means spending time with the people I love, yes this means being a force for good, for myself, for the ones around me, for all people and the planet.

In the time we have left here, together in Kuartango, I am accepting a lot of hugs, beceause I need as many as I can get”.

They all hugged me and I felt that they were with me, supporting me to honour David’s touch on my life. When the movie finished I told them that I dedicate this momemt to David because he helped me live the most beautiful, intense, alive day of my life. 

May you have a peaceful journey to infinite love David!

P.S. The music I was listening on repeat the whole time I was hiking is *Sri Kala – Surrender*

You have here the link to listen to them whenever you need a reminder of how precious life is.

I wanted to send you also the lyrics of the song, but I searched on google and apparently the lyrics are not uploaded anywhere. Anybody feels like contributing with this?

Instead, here is a nice article to read about this band and start following them.

https://iskconnews.org/srikala-album-beautiful-dark-moon-not-afraid-to-show-vulnerable-side/

Journaling prompts for the day:

• When was the last time you said thank you? To whom did you tell it and for what?
• Did you get to honor the people you love? The people who are still with you or have gone to a field beyond good or evil? How did you do that? If you did not get to honour them, what would you do to keep their memory alive?

Would love to hear from you in the comments.

All the love, all the wonder!