“Life is all memory, except for the one present moment that goes by you so quickly you hardly catch it going.” ~Tennessee Williams As I write this, I am literally lying in a hammock in Playa Guiones, Costa Rica, reflecting on a most amazing day. This year our family vacation took us south, way south, Central America south, and it has been one awakening after another. The plan for today was to visit a beautiful waterfall that we have been hearing about since we arrived. So we hooked up with a local “Tico” guide and set off on our ATVs into the jungle. As we traveled along, I found myself daydreaming about the waterfall we would be seeing. How tall was it? Was the water clear? Was it deep? Was the sound deafening or quiet? So many questions went through my mind. I gently reminded myself to stay present, the waterfall would be here soon enough… Before long we happened upon a small village with a total of twelve houses. In the distance was an overgrown soccer field with six children laughing, playing and kicking an old ball around. Our guide held his hand up for us to stop. He began talking to a man standing outside an old faded building. He waved us off our ATVs and we approached the man and the children in the field. We learned the man was the village school teacher. The school consisted of six students – five girls and one boy. Asking if we could look inside, the teacher gave us a tour of the one room school, which was reminiscent of the prairie days of North America– wooden desks, tattered books, dusty chalkboard. He smiled proudly as he showed us where he worked and described how he helped the children to become educated citizens. Our boys watched the other children with great interest and soon enough the children were attracted to one another as children are, and an impromptu game of soccer broke out. We labeled it World Cup 2- Costa Rica vs USA. Laughter, cheers, sweaty, barefoot children, broken English and Spanish all around. Our guide suddenly became the combination referee and announcer alternately shouting at and encouraging both the participants and the spectators. And in that moment all thoughts of the waterfall were gone. I was one hundred percent present in the moment. Pure joy and light. The Big Book tells us that no human power can relieve our alcoholism … “But there is One who has all power- that One is God…may (we) find Him now”. Find Him now. In the now, in the present moment. I have no doubt that the Power I conceived of in my second step was there with me, with all of us, in that moment, on that soccer field, in that school house, in the smile of the teacher and the laughter of the children. At the end of our visit, I asked our Guide if it would be offensive to make a donation to the school. He assured me it was fine. So I donated some money and the children smiled and cheered even more when the news of a new soccer ball, new books and supplies was announced. I am blessed, with or without waterfalls. It really is about the journey, it really is about the now, it really is about Power flowing in and through me to reach out and pay it forward. Thank you God – Pura Vida   Marsha Stone CEO BRC Recovery