beautiful helen
Helen in Chiang Mai, Thailand
Beautiful Helen came into my experience when I was alone at a cafe one afternoon. She sat down to share a table with me, ordered an iced latte, turned to my direction and asked: “Are you traveling by yourself, too?”.
I let Helen know that I spent my days bouncing from one city to the next with no clear direction in mind. She found my way of life brilliant, expressing that she loved traveling alone and the solitude that accompanied it.
I later came to learn that Helen left Hunan, China to uncover the beauty of Chiang Mai. Smiling ear to ear, Helen proposed that we spend the day together and so off we went to five Buddhist temples, which were some of the most magnificent structures I have ever seen.
Helen believed in the profound and transformative power of prayer. As we entered each temple, she’d lower herself to the ground, palm to palm, eyes closed, heart open, sinking into a deep meditation. Captivated by the moment, I kneeled down by her side and did the only thing I knew how to do: pray to something—anything larger than me.
We spent our day just like that—moving in and out of temples, praying in silence, meditating in love, and sharing smiles (so many smiles). Upon the exit of each temple, Helen would exclaim “I am so grateful for you! I am so happy because of you! You make me so happy!”.
I let Helen know that I was infinitely moved by her presence and that I spent my moments while meditating, thanking the universe for her. She expressed that in her meditation, she had thanked the universe for me.
One evening, I shared this wonderful happening with my extraordinary friend, Anant, who in return shared a wonderful happening of his own.
During his time in Paris, he noticed something distinctively beautiful about the way couples would coexist during their outings together. At a cafe, they’d take a seat at their table of choice and use one hand to hold their novel while using the other to hold their lovers. They’d remain like this for hours, reading peacefully by one another’s side.
There is something to be said about the sincere nature of remaining in someone’s presence, communicating through the heart, without the need for spoken word. Presence, simply, is love.
I don’t think I would have met Helen if I wasn’t alone and indeed, what a special part of this story that is.
Aloneness is always moving you toward something or someone.
