By Tere Ruiz
Living in Lake Chapala has brought many gifts to my life, and even when I thought that all my dreams had already came true after living here for almost two years, life keeps surprising me.
Being a single woman living in Mexico City for many years didn’t give me lots of options whenever I was sick. The distances, the rat race, and much more, made it very difficult to have someone around me whenever I needed help, even my family and friends, but living in Lakeside has been much different. Many times I thought of how great it would be to have someone to take care of me when needed or be around me when I was sick.
Eight weeks ago I had an unfortunate injury in my right ankle. But why do I say “unfortunate” if it was a gift in disguise? Yes, I thought all my dreams had come true, but as I normally say I had dreams come true that I didn’t even remember having, and there was still one more coming, no matter how ironic it may be: I needed help and I discovered, with a little pain involved, yes, how much love, care, and support I do have in my new life in lakeside.
Lots of single people worry about how it would be to live at Lakeside and I always tell them that “it is not a problem.” I feel very happy and never feel alone, but the best proof of not being alone was this injury. As I say, “it is not a problem,” and even when you do have a “problem,” you get to discover the best part of living here.
When I first hurt my ankle and was on my way to the Red Cross with my dearest and beloved friend Ana, I couldn’t stop wondering what I would do if I couldn’t walk, living alone in Ixtlahuacan de los Membrillos which is located on the other side of the hills and of course not next door to anybody. And when Ana, finally left me at home that night and I laid there by myself in the dark in pain and counting the minutes for the sun to rise and my sister to come down all the way from Guadalajara to take me to the orthopedist I can tell you that I felt completely helpless, but that was the last time I felt that way!
My sister came the next morning and drove me to the doctor’s office, who was so kind to see me on Saturday early in the morning, instead of my having to go to the hospital and spend lots of money in the ER (by the way he only charged $400.00 pesos). He needed to see me early because he usually spends the weekends with his family in Chapala, but he wanted to make sure that he had everything he might need to “fix” my foot in his office.
When my daughter Andrea came to visit on Sunday, she told me I needed to move down to Ocotlan with her, because she could realize how weak I was and how much I couldn’t even lift my body up with only one leg and how hard it was for me to walk in crutches. I knew I couldn’t move to Ocotlan, because I have a life, a job, a house and four dogs to take care of, and of course, my daughter couldn’t stay with me because she has a business to run in Ocotlan. So, I called Bill and asked him if he could lend me the extra chair with wheels that I recalled seeing at his place. He didn’t bring only one chair, he brought two… only two days after my injury I already had two pairs of crutches (Ana’s and my sister’s), two chairs to move all over my place, and two invitations to move and be taken care of (my daughter’s and Ana’s mother’). And, after that. Karen called me three times a day to find out how I was feeling, to ask what I needed, or to let me know that Bill was on his way to my house to bring groceries or that both were in their way to pick me up and drive me somewhere. I had messages in my Facebook page from lots of people asking about my health and sending me all their love, and I had phone calls too, even all the way from Vancouver.
I won’t tell you it was easy to live by myself with this injury in my foot. I did have a couple of breakdowns, or maybe more. But the truth is that while I sat there with my dogs cuddled all over my foot, feeling tired, in pain and desperate, I discovered what was going on in my mind and I realized how much my mind set was changing.
Karen wrote the following in her “Curandera” article last newsletter: “Sickness makes us stop and provides a time to change our course of action. Sickness may also be a teaching, showing us the suffering of others and helping us become more compassionate.” This couldn’t be more true, as I discovered how important is to have a strong and healthy body and to take care, cherish and be grateful for each and every part of it. I learned how lucky I am that this injury was not worse and that eight weeks later, this is close to being just a past experience. Now I keep in my prayers all the people who have an injury or an illness and need help to move around, some even for the rest of their lives. But this injury taught me something more important, the power of gratefulness, the power of friendship and the power of love…
Living in Lake Chapala, as a single woman and working in Focus on Mexico, has been a gift to me. It seems like Lake Chapala is a kind of miracle and dream maker vortex. I didn’t come on a Focus on Mexico Program, but I work there, (sorry I wasn’t there for the last three programs and missed meeting all the wonderful people who came) and even as an employee I get all the benefits and blessings of being part of the Focus family, because I have met all these wonderful people with whom I work with and to whom I am so grateful, and all the new friends and family I’ve met through Focus who are now a part of my life.
If you want to make a change in your life, leave the rat race, the stress and start a new life, come on a Focus on Mexico Program and not only get a week of learning and experience, discover how you can take your chance in life to live the best part of it even if you put your foot inside of some other hole in the floor. I can guarantee that it won’t be the same one I hurt mine with, because after all the complaints of my friends, I am positive, that it is not there anymore.
Marie always tells a story about someone who could see all the potholes that we don’t even notice. I didn’t see the pothole, but in a way, I am glad that it was there.
All my love and gratitude to Ana Kabande and her family, Karen and Bill McConnaughey, Ray and Marie Bullock, Meme Thorpe from Hope House, Marty, Janice, Kristina and Joel, Irma my Yoga Teacher, Raquel from “La Campesina,” my daughter Andrea, and Rox, all my Facebook friends, Ed, Wayne, Karen, David, my dear sister Paty, and of course, Dr. Ruiz and his secretary. You definitely helped ‘give me in the gift of an injury in Lake Chapala. I will never forget it!
Tere Ruiz-Rodarte: Director of Research and Development FocusOnMexico.
Focus On Mexico offers 8-Day Educational Programs to Ajijic and Lake Chapala, Mexico (2nd Best Climate in the World). Join us on a Focus program and learn why thousands of Americans and Canadians chose to retire in Lake Chapala.
Our programs offer the perfect balance; a wonderful vacation and an insightful, educational experience. Our expert speakers cover all topics: Health Care, Real Estate, Legal System, Immigration, Bringing Pets, Cost of Living, US Taxes for Americans, Non-Residency for Canadians, Living on the Lakeside, Investing in Mexico, Mexican Economy and much more...
You’ll get everything you need to help you decide if Lake Chapala, Mexico is the place for you, plus have a lot of fun doing it. Retiring in Mexico couldn't be better.