In this time of quarantine one of the activities that my sister Yuliana and I have done the most is introspection.

At the end of the day, there is a feeling that has become evident to us in our meditations: gratitude.

We feel grateful for all that has been our life. Good times and bad times have been masters in our evolution as human beings.

We appreciate that, although we come from a family where money was not enough, we have been able to travel to wonderful places and we have learned that to travel does not need so much money as desires and courage.

We appreciate having the family we have. Our brothers are very close and the elders have always been taking care of us since the passing of our parents.

We appreciate living the life we want. We love Canada and we just left the residence.

 

We appreciate that we are not lacking in anything material. We come from a country – Venezuela – that is going through a tragic situation and yet we now live in a country where nothing is missing. We see Canadian citizens complaining about conditions in their country, but we only feel gratitude.

We appreciate being able to express ourselves through art: dance, theater, yoga. That brings joy and meaning to our lives and makes us better and better people.

We appreciate meeting so many wonderful people. In our travels, in the theater, in dance and even online we meet people from whom we learn important things in life. They inspire us, motivate us and keep us going.

We appreciate that our life experiences have led us to value the simple and simple things in life: going to the movies, a bike ride, an autumn afternoon or a good cup of coffee.

After all, happiness is not a constant and immutable state. Rather, it is the chaining of happy moments, moments that we can multiply.

But it’s not just the good times that have yielded lessons. Perhaps greater lessons have been given to us by sadness and sorrow.

When Yuliana and I were 7 years old our mother died. The loss of the mother is devastating for every child. Then, at the age of 22, our father passed away.

In Venezuela I adopted a kitten that taught me great lessons in unconditional love. At the end of last year he became ill and had to be taken to the vet to make him sleep permanently. It was a terrible blow, but that love he showed me in life is something that has remained in me making me grow as a human being.

But such tragedies caused us (who are 5 brothers) to come together and take care of each other. Today, we are scattered around the world. Even so, we are in constant contact and always aware of each other. Distance has not cooled our relationship. It has strengthened it.

A love breakup is also painful. I ended up with my partner, and yes, it hurt quite a bit… But I also learned to value myself much more, not to be emotionally dependent on others, and to be resilient. And it always remains to treasure the good times lived together. After all, we are made of experiences.

We are firm believers that the feeling of gratitude not only blesses, but attracts more reasons to be grateful. It’s like a state of constant expectation that something good is coming and you’re so sure of it that you appreciate it in advance.

A while ago, the government of the People’s Republic of China conducted a study examining several dozen elderly people over the age of 100.

They found that there were vegetarians, carnivores, raised in the countryside, in cities and engaged in the most diverse trades. They didn’t seem to have a common pattern.

The only thing in common they could find in everyone was that constant state of joy, optimism and gratitude for all that had been and remained their life.

For us, that’s an example to follow.