One morning in Zipolite, Oaxaca, I saw an Italian friend drown before my eyes. We had played football together just the day before, laughing like brothers. Then, in an instant, he was gone — swallowed by the ocean.
The shock struck deep. Life revealed itself as it truly is: a fragile breath between one wave and the next. As I sat on the sand, grieving, the sea rolled a beautiful shell right into my hand — the most perfect I had ever seen.
In that moment, I felt a presence behind me, a soft touch on my left shoulder. It was Death itself. And strangely, instead of fear, I felt clarity. I could see my life stretched behind and before me — everything I had been, and everything still waiting ahead.
That day, I understood that life is precious because it can end at any moment. So I made a choice: to live.
I left behind my life in Germany — my job, my marriage, the safe routine — and became an artisan. Since that day, the Universe has never failed me. It always provides what I need, as long as I walk with trust.
When you take that first step into the unknown, life opens like an endless path. You see that it’s all a school — we’re here to learn, to create, to express. Not to be tied to jobs or bills, but to live freely and consciously.
It’s been forty-five years now since that morning on the beach. I’ve never gone hungry, never lacked a roof, and never stopped feeling grateful.
That shell — gift from the sea, messenger of Death — taught me how to live.
Apa Shanko
Author page on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com.br/stores/EDUARDO-ZOTZ/author/B083TLSV3C
