C Squared W: Living with Less

This is one of the greatest lessons I have learned from living in Dominica. Although I have experiences daily that remind me of this, there is one image that really stands out in my mind and illustrates this point:

One afternoon Charlie and I were going on a hike to one of many amazing spots on the island. On the trail, we passed a small shack, not much larger than a simple garden shed. The door to the shack was open and you could see inside: just a heap of clothes, a pile of plantains, and some pieces of old cardboard covered the dirt floor. The shack itself was constructed of pieces of scrap metal.

Outside of the shack were three little girls, skipping, singing, and playing happily. Their tiny shack boasted an amazing view of the mountains and sea below and beyond. Next to the house were two handmade tire swings hanging from a tree. One of the little girls was busy playing on the ground with a dirty, headless Barbie doll. As we walked by, they excitedly showed us their swings and the doll. Their father was outside working beside a large fire in the heat of the day where he was drying out enormous pieces of bark from a nearby cinnamon tree on a piece of scrap metal. The girls and their father happily wished us well with their toothy grins and pointed us towards the direction of our destination.

They did not have much, but I have never seen happier children.