My life went on, in perfect accordance with what was accepted and expected by society.
Nevertheless, fate gave me a chance to choose an alternative future to that which I had planned 23 years ago, when my daughter Mariana was born. I have always believed that human beings experience a few magical moments that can transform their stories. Those unique moments in which the roads cross and we can decide to take a completely different path. Often, we stand in these crossroads with fear and hesitation, because change sometimes implies leaving behind what we have learned, the people we know, and the status or patterns we are used to. This was not my case. When I had my daughter in my arms, I knew clearly that many things were going to change and I accepted that.
For a while, I kept living as I had so far: I worked in the bank, while my daughter was with her grandmother. I could only see her in the morning and at night, so a void began to grow inside of me. I felt constantly uncomfortable with how things were, but I did not know how to solve the problem. A balance scale stood in front of me with two drastic alternatives, and the choice was not easy. On one side was my economic stability, because at that time I had an income much higher than my husband's and, on the other hand, was my maternal instinct pushing me to be with my baby the greatest amount of time possible. The election implied, I believed, a sacrifice.
A time passed, in which I constantly evaluated the two options, until one morning, everything was resolved. My little Mariana looked at me with her big, deep eyes, in a special way... I knew then, without a doubt, that I could adjust to living more austerely, but could never adjust to being far from that being who had come to teach me in the simplest way, the swiping strength of love. I quit my job that day and what looked like a sacrifice, turned out to be the greatest of blessings.
Everything changed ... even my physical appearance. I no longer had to accord with the bank's dress code and expectations, so a more authentic me slowly emerged. This authenticity manifested itself in a variety of ways, as a preparation for what was to come. My daughter became the greatest teacher that life has given me and I began to understand the magic of simplicity. Things that before seemed so crucial, lost their importance. It was as if certain things were breaking, to make space for new things. The inner me was surfacing in a way so subtle, that I could not perceive it at the time. The soil was being plowed, the seeds planted. And then... It happened.
I did not look for my teachers ... they arrived in a magical way. They waited patiently for me to get rid of unnecessary burdens and when they considered that I was ready, they appeared.
In Colombia, there is no Mayan tradition. This culture developed in the Central American region (Guatemala, Belize, western Honduras, El Salvador and the southern states of Mexico), so it would have been hard to foresee that a South American's destiny would be so intimately linked with a legacy manifested thousands of kilometers from her birthplace. Fate, however, has intricate ways of creating possibilities, and in my case, the Second Meeting of Native American Elders appeared in my life as a link that connected my path with that of the Mayan elders who welcomed me, taught me, and launched me into the world to share, with anyone who wants to listen, their wonderful legacy.
It amazes me to hear so often that "the Mayans disappeared." Throughout the world, people are surprised when I tell them that despite the multiple invasions, the Mayans are alive, that their knowledge is still relevant, and that what they have bestowed upon us can become a transcendental tool in the evolutionary process of humanity.
The Mayans are not an extinct culture. They are powerful people that still dress in traditional clothes every day, speak one of the 22 Mayan tongues as a first language, and take great care of their customs. Men, women, and children with an incredible artistic sensibility that has allowed them to weave a world of color around themselves. People who smile often and have a lot to teach. I am here to share some of their knowledge with you and to tell you about the intricate journey that brought my feet to the path I walk today.