| | |  Vallarta Living | December 2009 
Holiday Reflections
 Pamela Thompson - PVNN
December 22, 2009
| | The outpouring of support for a summer food drive was beyond any of our wildest dreams. The bottom line was that hundreds and hundreds of local people were supplied food when there was none. (photos by Josef Kandoll) | |
Sometimes the mood to write strikes me and ideas are swirling around in my head in no particular order. It's sort of like a Scrabble game in the brain. The journey from my brain to the computer is the challenge.
It seems like only yesterday that everything in the Banderas Bay area came to a screeching halt, literally overnight. We all felt the impact of the "swine" flu - from grocery clerk to hotel maid. From restaurant owner to beach vendor.
As the tourists dwindled down to practically zero, those of us who call Vallarta home began to realize that this wasn't going to be just a short term slowdown. This was the big one! Hitting a record nearly 3000 emails over a two-week period coming directly to me or via BanderasNews, I understood that a big, dark cloud had gathered over the entire bay. You couldn't see it. But you sure could feel it.
Locals began knocking on doors, asking "Do you have some work for me?", "Can I sweep your porch?" - to which many of us answered sure! (I think during that time, most of us had the cleanest front porches we have ever had!)
But something needed to be done besides tidying up the yard. The outpouring of support for a local food drive was beyond any of our wildest dreams. The bottom line was that hundreds and hundreds of people were supplied food when there was none. It was transparent. It was well organized. It was a success.
Are the hard times over? I sincerely doubt it. Studying statistics gives me hives. But I hear it may take up to five years to economically recover from that huge, dark cloud. Seeing the tourists here now is bringing hope. I sometimes want to walk up to some of them that I see and say, "Thank you for coming! We appreciate it! Enjoy your time here! Come back soon!"
Four days ago I heard of a young woman now confined to a wheelchair due to a spinal cord injury. The family was low income and needed a wheelchair. It only took a few emails and today, a brand new wheelchair is being delivered to their home. All done basically anonymously. There are many, many silent angels in the area.
The above are only a couple of examples. I can think of so many more! People around here are good. They care. They come in all shapes, sizes, colors and personalities (boy! do they come in various personalities!). They have heart.
As we move through the holiday season and head in to 2010, let's continue to have heart. Tell your friends you care about them. Mend a fence. Reconnect with an estranged family member. Lend a hand. Pat a back. Count to ten. Play fair. Say gracias. Be nice. Wish upon a star and thank whoever or whatever you believe in for what you have. Much easier said than done, that's for sure. But let's give it a try!
 Pamela Thompson is a registered nurse who has lived in Puerto Vallarta for over 17 years, 10 of them in health care. Pamela now leads HealthCare Resources Puerto Vallarta, a local healthcare resource network. Her years of experience and expertise are available to you by emailing your questions to pamela(at)healthcareresourcespv.com or by visiting HealthCareResourcesPV.com.
Click HERE to learn more about the health and well-being services offered by HealthCare Resources Puerto Vallarta. |
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