Yesterday morning I went down to the Cancha, the largest outdoor market in South America, if not the world. I want to make the girls something they can write their prayers on and replace the prayers whenever they want. So, I sketched out an idea and went to the cancha to buy the necessary items--construction paper, glue, markers, colored pencils, etc. Wednesday is a market day, so it was full of people bargaining for fruit and vegetables, clothes and home items.
It is amazing to me how many people work in the Cancha, and many of them do not make enough money to live above the poverty line. You see mothers with their babies selling fruit, and older men and women selling school supplies, kids meeting their parents in the market after school has gotten out.
While wandering around the Cancha, I saw children doing homework and eating lunch with their parents, people selling items to shoppers. I noticed that many of these kids seemed sad and lonely. So, I decided to smile at every kid I cross paths with--on the street, on the bus, in the market. I know this seems like a small, unimportant gesture, but a smile can go a long way! I started yesterday, and I saw so many faces light up and smile back.
This journey to Cochabamba, Bolivia has opened my eyes to so many things, including the power of a smile and the subtle acknowledgement that I notice you, and you are special.
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