Wisdom lesson from Angel Gabriel

Intr-adevar o poveste care te pune pe ganduri mult timp si te face sa iti reevaluezi total valorile si stilul de viata....

This is the Angel Gabriel. I met him on the Newport Beach pier as he was eating French Fries out of a trash can. He was homeless and hungry. I asked him if he would help me with a photograph and in return, I would buy him lunch.

The pier was very crowded and I wanted to take a 30 second exposure so that everyone would disappear except Gabriel. We tried a few shots and then Gabriel wanted to mess up his hair and hold his bible. The image worked and the only people you can see besides Gabriel are those "ghosts" who lingered long enough for the camera.

Gabriel and I then went into a restaurant to share a meal; he ordered steak with mushrooms and onions. When it came, he ate it with

his hands. I discovered he was Romanian and so am I, so we talked about Romania. He was simple, kind and a pleasure to talk with.

I asked Gabriel how I might contact him, in case I sold some of the photographs and wanted to share the money with him. He said

I should give the money to someone who could really use it; that he had everything that he needed.

Then the Angel Gabriel walked away, content and carrying his only two possessions: a Bible and a bed roll.

Pana la urma, de ce avem cu adevarat nevoie? Ieri mi-am facut bagajele, ma mut. Mi-am strans toate lucrurile in 4 sacose si vreo 8 plase mari.....Din toate lucrurile de acolo, cred ca as strange o plasuta mica in care sa fie lucruri de care chiar am nevoie. Si nici macar expresia "am nevoie" nu e corecta. e vorba de cateva lucruri care ma fac sa zambesc, cateva carti, cateva fotografii si cateva haine care imi amintesc de cateva momente speciale din viata. Desi probabil mi le-as aminti si as zambi doar la amintirea lor, fara sa le am cu mine...Cu ce ne fac lucrurile fericiti? De ce avem impresia ca lucrurile pot umple golul din suflet? De ce avem mereu impresia ca exista un gol care trebuie umplut? De ce asteptam ca unii oameni sa umple golul din noi? De fapt e totul o iluzie...singuratatea da impresia de gol. e un gol pe care ni-l cream singuri si doar noi putem sa il umplem. si pt asta nu avem nevoie de lucruri sau de oameni. Avem nevoie doar de noi insine, de un zambet cald si de un pic de intelepciune. Sa stim ca cea mai de pret iubire este iubirea oferita fara sa ceri absolut nimic in schimb, fara sa astepti sa fii iubit inapoi, fara sa ceri recunostinta si respect. Sa iubesti cu zambetul pe buze, sa suferi cu zambetul pe buze, sa nu doara nimic altceva care nu tine de sufletul tau. Nimic sa nu atenteze la sufletul tau, nimic sa nu poata sa afecteze ceea ce esti tu deep inside. Nu avem nevoie de nimic , decat de noi insine. in the end, oricum suntem singuri de la inceput pana la sfarsit. Sa traiesti viata cu zambetul pe buze...