Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers of the world who have given of themselves in so many ways to bring new life into this world. Hopefully the newness and enthusiasm of this new life will grow as well as their children continue to learn and spread harmony and love through their innocent energy and sweet smiles. This is what we feel so often as we travel the length and breadth of the country meeting with thousands of children and sharing ideas and inspiration for a more harmonious world.

Recovering from yesterday’s long and hot relay run around the city of Austin, Texas, we started the day slowly and in relaxed fashion with no real ceremonies to attend. After a morning meditation and nice meal prepared by our hosts here in Austin, Jeromy and Aklilu, we had time to visit a local spring fed swimming lake at Barton Springs. The water was a cool 68 F, or 20C. It was quite refreshing though as the heat was still trying to fully dissipate from the muscles from yesterday’s hot run. I was able to get in almost a mile of swimming in this huge facility formed by a small dam in the local Colorado River.

It was a very invigorating, and at the same time, relaxing exercise which will help to promote hopefully a quicker recovery from a long run.

Making our way to Dominican Joe Café in town, our team was now ready for some refreshments and an informal gathering of local residents to discuss some of the elements of harmony and friendship that we have experienced while in Austin the past few days. We were fortunate to have had quite an illustrious gathering of friendly and interesting individuals from various walks of life. Most of them were invited by Aklilu who seems to meet and befriend almost everyone he meets.

We were fortunate to meet the owner of the café, Sharla Mugilligan, who happened to be there for a short while finishing up some work. Her business helps to support various educational institutions, supports economic development in the Dominican Republic and also serves as a meeting place for many individuals and community groups. It was a fitting place for us to meet some of our new friends and discuss many interesting and meaningful topics while enjoying the food and ambience of this unique café.

After our brief introductions, we spent almost two hours getting to know each other. Neil and Jan, friends of Aklilu who helped plot out yesterday’s relay route and the WHR, Mohammed, an entrepreneur from a territory near Pakistan and Afghanistan, Matthew Baron and his mother from Philadelphia and Israel, Mark, a teacher originally from the Philippines, Stacey, a fifth generation Texan , Nora, a local Ghost Writer and author who also baked us dozens of chocolate chip cookies, Sylvia and Charlie, also friends of Aklilu and Jeromy who have been very supportive, and Gordon who ran with us yesterday, all made for a very interestingly diverse conversation and meeting here at Dominican Joe.

As we are about to leave Austin and Texas for a much colder clime, we are filled with the warmth and diversity of its people who were so welcoming to us. They seem to embrace the concept of harmony in their work and their play, offering the hospitality of the South from ‘deep in the heart of Texas’.

Gratefully from the Harmony Team,

Arpan, Salil, Francesco, Banshidhar and Jeromy

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