Sarah and Claire in Costa Rica - Entry #5

February 25 - Life with Gail

It is true – every moment with Gail, the indefatigable founder of the Costa Rican Humanitarian Foundation, is an adventure. We have discovered that whether we are prepared or not, it is more than likely that at any given moment, we will find ourselves lodged right in the midst of something “off-the-beaten-path.” It may be an adventure involving mountains, dangerous traffic conditions, unqualified parents or unstable niños; parks with questionable security or unknown areas during hours of darkness, spirits and angels, new people or eccentric people, or just one of those conversational adventures that places your mind-balls at odds with your mind-holes. Just the other night, as we rolled along through several of these types of adventures—mountains, dangerous traffic, darkness, new people, and foreign terrain—we found ourselves in the middle of a particularly interesting conversation. And yes, spirits and angels were involved too.

While we were scaling the side of the mountains above Escazu in Gail’s ancient Hyundai van, she began to tell us the story of her friend Beth. Gail had met Beth when they were both in the Peace Corps, working in Costa Rica over 20 years ago. Gail developed an immense respect for her new friend as they grew closer, building schools and working alongside impoverished children throughout rural Costa Rica. They spent hours together, trading personal philosophies and accumulating new ones through their work. After they had both moved down their separate paths outside of the Peace Corps, Gail heard the news of a terrible accident. 12 years ago, after missing for a week from a hiking trip, Beth was found dead at the bottom of a cliff. The cause of death was unknown, and Gail was deeply affected by the loss of such a kindred companion. The mountains our van was currently stumbling through had been Beth’s home for many years before her death. “I can feel the presence of Beth’s spirit still wandering these rural mountain villages,” Gail said, her voice betraying its usual serene confidence. It is evident that through her work establishing the Costa Rican Humanitarian Foundation, she has remained loyal to Beth’s humanitarian vision.

The van had been following a large Blue-Morpho Butterfly for a kilometre when we came upon the woman we had been looking for. She had recently escaped to the area in search of sanctuary to write her book—a guide for those suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder to find peace and healing through the discovery of their personal guardian angels. She had contacted Gail to commend her on her inspiring humanitarian vision and to expand her search for books on angels to Gail’s personal library. We slid out of the van and introductions were passed around as we looked out over San Jose Valley, sparkling in the dusk. There were personal philosophies of angels and spirits being tossed about as Claire and I succumbed to the Tarot Cards offered to us by Gail. Each of our chosen cards made sense respectively, including disarming allusions to internal doubt, anxiety, personal control, and the directions to continuously struggle with the adversity of our lives. Perched on a dirt embankment surrounded by horses in their paddock and gardens of vegetables, we chatted, discussed our Tarot Cards before heading in opposite directions. As the three of us rumbled treacherously down the mountain in the beastly Hyundai, I caught a glimpse of our new friend, evidently blessed by Beth’s spirit, plodding slowly upward to her mountainside nook.