A falta de pan, buenas son tortas.
“In the absence of bread, cornmeal cakes will do.”
Make the best of what is available when the ideal option is not there.
— Traditional Panama Wisdom, Panama
Source: Traditional proverb, shared Hispanic/Latin American oral tradition, in common use in Panama (refranespopulares.org, "Refranes populares panamenos")
More Proverbs from Panama
The shrimp that falls asleep gets carried away by the current.
Staying alert and active is essential — those who grow careless or complacent get left behind.
There is no bad thing that lasts a hundred years.
Hardship, however severe, always comes to an end eventually.
The tiger's cub is born already striped.
Children naturally inherit the traits and character of their parents.
You can tell a traveler by his suitcase.
People reveal who they are through the things they carry and how they present themselves.
She who has nursed her own children should not speak ill of another's.
Parents should show compassion toward other people's children rather than judging them harshly.
The last monkey never drowns.
Even the one who seems worst off usually finds a way to survive — a stubborn folk optimism.