We make the mistake of forgetting, of thinking we have always been the way we are now, we put in a box what we have lived in the past and make the mistake of not opening that box again. It seems that with such a fast-paced life in which we live, we only look ahead for new goals, new horizons, but we make the mistake of forgetting where we come from. It happens to all of us, the circumstances, the experiences we live throughout our lives make us change, we change how we think, how we speak, how we behave, our goals and our priorities.
We cannot make that mistake…
Just stop and think, for a moment, about your past. All the experiences that have brought you here, to this point. Travel back in time and take a moment to reflect, to remember your past, your roots, that certain place where you lived, the smell, the food, the taste and the people who have taken a piece of your heart; think of the good times, the happiness, the laughter; think of the struggles, the failures, the battles you had to overcome. Remember and value who was there, the ones who gave you immense happiness and the ones who hurt you, who is still here and who never will be again, because they have all taught you something. Remember, reflect and try to feel again what you felt in the past, all those moments that have made you who you are today. Look at your past and now look at your present, understand that what you have today and who you are is a product of your past and everything you have gone through in order to get to where you are right now. Let that not fall into oblivion, do not let it get lost along the way.
Never underestimate your past, your experiences. Never forget to look back…
Once in a while, stop, think and remember. Remember your life, the good and the bad, to understand YOU and who YOU are a little better, and then worry about the rest of the world, which is already quite difficult and complicated.
Remember your present is not only limited to the NOW and the TOMORROW, but also the YESTERDAY, the one you left behind, but will always be the greatest source of wisdom and will always remain in your essence.
You will transform yourself as you continue through life, you will probably change your preferences, tastes, choices, but never change or deny where you come from as it is engraved in your soul, always make the choice to stop for a minute and return to your place of origin, connect to that place, those people, that taste and that smell; if you don’t, you will never have a clear picture of the “Who” you are because you won’t understand the “What” and the “Why” of everything you have already lived.
Today, I want to share a little piece of my past that I carry very close to my heart everywhere I go.
This certain thing is known as “El Ávila”. Officially named Waraira Repano, it is a mountainous formation that separates Caracas (The capital of Venezuela, where I was proudly born and raised) and the Caribbean Sea. It is a national park and it is considered by every citizen an emblem and the vegetable lung of our capital.
El Ávila is truly majestic to look at, so majestic we could see it from every angle in the city, and if you left Caracas and then came back, you would find yourself staring at it like if it was a drawing and not real. More than a mountain, it is full of trails, traditions and stories from each one of us who had the blessing of living there, you could walk up a trail, you could go by jeep or even by a cable car, the real treat was when you got to the top and you could see the city of Caracas, a sight I could never forget, a sight full of beauty that gave me so much tranquility and serenity.
More than a mountain “El Ávila” is a symbol of tradition and culture, it has even inspired beautiful songs. You won’t really understand the energy it gives you unless you’re there looking at it, it almost feels like every day it tells us, “Get up and do you best!” ,“Here I am, watching over this amazing city!” It gives us courage and strength when things get difficult, it is a book full of stories, but the most important gift we have from it is a sense of belonging and a feeling of pride whenever we talk about it.
I remember, every day it looked different, depending if it was sunny, cloudy, foggy, or depending on the season, like in the Holidays when it would turn red because of the Capín Melao, a plant that blooms at the beginning of December. But the best time to look at it had to be at dawn, it was the first thing I saw in the morning as I was heading to school, and many times my mother would say “Look how spectacular El Ávila looks today!” and as I was half asleep in the car, I would always look at it and acknowledge its unrivaled beauty and gave me the energy I needed to start the day.
I have a deep love for my country Venezuela, so deep that despite going through so many problems, I will always have hope for a better future, because no one can take that away from us: hope that one day I can take my children and look at this majestic mountain together from up close and get to know their mom’s country.
