Elisandro Quintero, pictured below sporting a fanny pack across his torso (well before it became a trend lol), passed this weekend
A man that channeled me into another dimension of giving with a radically open heart, bringing people together for the greater good, and being able to laugh at life's chaotic moments.
Meeting him for the first time in 2012, his sun-bright joy seeped into my heart, arms around me, greeting me and the other people on the dance exchange.
He was MAGNETIC. The kids loved him, adults loved him, I loved him.
This weekend, he departed into the next dimension, seemingly out of nowhere.
As a fellow Gemini who knew a lot of people, this hit home for a lot of us.
So today, I felt called to share a part of his legacy with some lessons that he taught me and so many others simply by way of being.
1. It's ok to cry in front of people you just met.
In December of 2012, the day we left his sweet community in Chepo, Panama, I remember us pulling away in our little yellow bus. We had made a pit stop at his home, which I think was a deep hue of pink at the time, to say goodbye. As the tires started turning, tears rolled down his face. He felt emotions deeply and never hid them away. The irony of crying as I write this...
2. Be a super-connector, because then you're a part of experiences even when you're not there.
When I lived in Panama between 2015-2017, I was directing that same organization that brought me down for my first dance exchange. In the times that I didn't know where to go or who to call, I knew Elisandro had the answer. He knew everybody. He wasn't a social butterfly, he was a social river, his waves stretching from shore to shore and the depths of which I could never fully comprehend. Somehow, everyone knew who he was. And he was the center of so many experiences and relationships I formed.
3. Give as if your life depends on it.
If I had an image of this man in my head, it would be with his arms open wide, smile wide on his face, ready to bring people together. He opened his home to my friends and I during Carnaval (even though there was truly only room for one person in there lol), he came to the city to help with our events just because he felt like it, and he always found a way to give more and more.
The moment I'll never forget was the day he and his friend Felipe took us down to the river after some sweaty dance classes and he shared a phrase that has stuck with me since...
"Panamá. El puente del mundo, corazón del universo."
Translated, he was saying that Panamá, the country where he lived, was like the bridge of the world, heart of the Universe. And that's how I feel about him.
Rest in peace <3
Kimberly
If you’re new here, welcome! I’m so glad we’re connected! Just so you know, I send weekly blogs like this to my email list and sometimes don’t post it up on my website until awhile after. If you don’t wanna miss a thing, click here to sign up for that inbox party! There’s a few free welcome gifts on the inside :)