Let’s BE the CHANGE

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a hero is a person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities. However, normally when we think of heroes we think of this incredibly characters, this larger than life people who rescue puppies and babies from burning buildings or sacrifice everything in a selfless act… And what about everyday, simple, real and awesome heroes?

You see, I’m pregnant, now at 38 weeks I’m clearly, evidently and hugely pregnant. My belly is obvious, I walk with a funny gobble and sit and stand up with some difficulty (even with all the CrossFit, stretching and movement I have kept in my days). No one would deny that I’m expecting, yet most times I get no different treatment than a non-pregnant woman, and that’s cool. Except when it’s about waiting 3 hours to finish some paperwork, sitting in hard metallic chairs, desperate to go home and eat lunch on a Saturday afternoon.

That’s when I need a hero… and awesomely enough, that was precisely when one showed up, came “to my defense” and made my day better, lighter and more comfortable, just because.

I had to renew my car’s registration and as luck would have it, the day I had to go to do it was a Saturday. When I got to the place, a nice officer handed me a number, to my surprise it was number A217 and the current number was A174. The room was packed with people, the chairs were scarce and my heart sank at the thought of spending my whole afternoon there (not to mention the fact that I knew I had a bowl of delicious pumpkin soup waiting for me at home).

Anyway, considering my options were limited, I just found an empty chair and sat down, committing to using the time to catch up on some emails and start writing some ideas I had. I was determined to make lemonade from the lemons I had received… and then something happened.

As I browsed around the web absentmindedly this man approached me. Immediately I thought he wanted me to move my purse, which I had placed on the space next to me, but then he said: “Excuse me, what’s your number?” Like coming out of a daze, I said A217 and he handed me his, A180, only 2 numbers away from the current one.

I could only mumble some gratitude phrases, give him mine and that was it. He took it and walked to the door (I’m guessing he was going for a coffee and coming back later on). He left and I was at awe of that heroic act. How many times per day do we encounter real life heroes and don’t realize it? How many times are WE the heroes?

Suddenly, I found myself pondering if it was time for me to start being “the change I wanted to see in the world” a la Gandhi. Perhaps that was the key. I wanted to bake a cake for my real hero, I wanted to thank him and tell his wife what a sweet and compassionate act he had performed, and if he didn’t have one, I wanted to set him up on a blind date with an amazing woman. I don’t know, I wanted to tell him that he changed my day for the better and touched my life deeply. But, I couldn’t find him again.

So, I’m committing to something else, possibly something much more powerful and meaningful, I’m making a conscious vow to become part of the solution, to take a deep breath before something unkind comes out of me, to slow down and send blessings even when I feel like “going full-on-latina” on people. I’m going to be the change.

Now, I might fail sometimes, I might also lose my cool (specially in the next weeks when tiredness and sleep deprivation become part of my normal), but I’m also pledging to doing more good in 2016 and onwards, because we need more good, we need more heroes and I want to be part of that loving movement.

#BeTheChange #CommittedToGood #WellnessNinja #HolisticNourishmentRevolution