From the Nice Lady at the Carwash to the Neighbors Sharing Their Sopa de Pollo with Me. .

I'm meeting with some new clients on Saturday morning. I'm going to pick them up at the airport and we'll have lunch. Vince and Jill are so excited about finally starting the process in acquiring their legal status here in Costa Rica. By mid-January of 2021, they'll be here, all moved and settled into their new home in Atenas. A whole new life for them. .

My car was a mess. It needed a good washing. I surely didn't want to show up to pick up our new clients in a dirty car! The car wash I usually go to went out of business because of the COVID-19 situation. Another family business dead in the water. . what a shame. I used to go to another location as well to wash my car, owned for so many years by a local family. I thought I'd try them out once again. So earlier today I stopped by. They had to run my car through TWICE. Now, it's shining like a brand new car. .

It's a family business and Dora, the mother of the owner, has been working there, cleaning cars for 20 years! She's well over 65, but can still put a shine on like you've never seen. I haven't been there since early February or March. I used to bring her chocolates and she was hoping that I had a few pieces in my pocket. She remembered. . Dora came over and looked at my shirt pocket even before she looked me in the eyes. She knew I used to keep the candy in there for her. I knew she wanted those chocolates. . the ones with the caramel in the middle were always her favorite! I pretended like I didn't have any for her and she was notably sad. But she still gave me a little peck on the cheek. She mentioned to me in her broken English to be sure not to forget her little treats when I returned the next time. As she turned to get back to work, I said in my broken Spanish, "No tan rapido. . Tengo una sorpresa para ti!" (Not so fast. . I have a surprise for you). Her eyes lit up as if I was handing her at $100 bill! Dora was so happy. . a handful of sweetness that she could enjoy for the rest of the day today. She turned that little kiss on the cheek into a big hug! I made her day. And, she made my day as well. . She thanked me and started chewing, wearing a smile from ear to ear!

I ran a few more errands and finally made it home about noon or so. I worked up a pretty good appetite and figured I'd make myself and my wife a sandwich. As I started preparing lunch, I heard a knock at the door. I was greeted with five smiling faces and a big pot of something or other! All I knew was that it smelled sooo good. The new neighbors, who had only been living beside us for a month or so made a huge pot of chicken soup. They wanted to share it with my wife and I. My Spanish is not that good and their English is worse than my Spanish. But, over the years, I have learned how to communicate pretty well, using my hands and with the few Spanish words I know. I took the pot from them, opened the lid and I thought I had died and went to heaven. The three little kids all hugged my legs. . they must be around only 3 to 6 years old. The mom and dad both gave me a 'thumbs up' and now it was time to eat! We ladled out two bowls of soup and wow, was it good. The BEST chicken soup I had ever tasted. And, I think the chicken was the one that was running around their yard just a few hours earlier because I didn't see that darn bird over there for the rest of the day!

About three spoonfuls into eating the soup, we heard another knock on the door. It was the three kids again from next door with a paper plate full of at least a dozen slices of homemade bread! Now, we had a feast going. .

What a wonderful day it has been. To interact with people who you hardly even know like you have known them for years makes your soul feel really good. It solidifies the fact that there is hope for our crazy world. And that is a huge relief!

Any day is a good day when your car is clean and there's enough chicken soup left over for two more lunches! Life is so good. .

Pura Vida. .

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