Count your blessings, name them one by one...
(I was looking back through my drafts folder and came upon this post. This was written in January 2016. Reading it brought back some great memories for me, so I hope you enjoy it.)
I remember a family camping trip when I was young. It ended with several inches of water in the tent, at which point we decided to pack up our things and move indoors. That was the only time we ever abandoned a camping situation. As we packed up the sopping wet canvas tent, sorted through mushy bread, and tried to salvage some not-quite-soaked-through firewood, my siblings and I (led by Mom) were singing Count Your Blessings.
Well, after complaining about the cold here, I feel as if I should give you all a list of the blessings I've encountered here in another part of Africa.
1) Borrowed items: I've been blessed with countless sweaters, a nice coat, slipper socks, and gloves as people take pity on my shivering self.
2) Hot drinks: I never stopped drinking hot coffee on Clove Island, but here in "otherAfrica" I'm on an almost constant diet of coffee and tea. Bonus: warm fingers, at least momentarily.
3) Wonderful hosts: all the people I've met here have gone out of their way to welcome me, to ask questions about my life, and include me in their life and activities.
4) Supermarkets: I absolutely love walking through a supermarket and seeing all the things for sale. I don't have to buy them even, nay, the sheer joy of seeing such nice things for sale is enough.
5) Cheese: well, looking isn't quite enough. I'm very happy to consume cheese that's priced normally and buy pizza or sandwiches with delicious cheeses in them.
6) Reading Arabic: it's like a secret code! Granted, I read at the pace of a geriatric snail, yet it's extremely gratifying to sound out words I see on the street and even recognize some of them.
7) Experienced people: I'm learning so much! I get to have conversations with people who have been around the block a few times and love sharing their experiences with me. Why learn the hard way when there's an easier option?
8) Pre-prepared language lessons: After planning all my own lessons for the last two years, it's been amazing to just sit down with a language nurturer who's been given the lesson plan and resources in advance. I just sit and learn! No worries about what to learn next, how to learn something, how to explain what I need from my language helper, etc., I just show up for my lesson, learn, and practice at home. Spoiled, much?
9) Kids: the other day I went and helped a friend with a creative arts class she does at a local school. The kids there were so great. Even though I didn't understand 98% of what they were saying, they still kept talking to me, showing me their art, and asking me questions as if I understood perfectly. "Oh, you're holding up messy hands with a question tone in your voice? Yes, go wash your hands!"
Well, I could keep going, but that seems like a good start. What are you blessed by today?
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| First mango of the season |
Well, after complaining about the cold here, I feel as if I should give you all a list of the blessings I've encountered here in another part of Africa.
1) Borrowed items: I've been blessed with countless sweaters, a nice coat, slipper socks, and gloves as people take pity on my shivering self.
2) Hot drinks: I never stopped drinking hot coffee on Clove Island, but here in "otherAfrica" I'm on an almost constant diet of coffee and tea. Bonus: warm fingers, at least momentarily.
3) Wonderful hosts: all the people I've met here have gone out of their way to welcome me, to ask questions about my life, and include me in their life and activities.
4) Supermarkets: I absolutely love walking through a supermarket and seeing all the things for sale. I don't have to buy them even, nay, the sheer joy of seeing such nice things for sale is enough.
5) Cheese: well, looking isn't quite enough. I'm very happy to consume cheese that's priced normally and buy pizza or sandwiches with delicious cheeses in them.
6) Reading Arabic: it's like a secret code! Granted, I read at the pace of a geriatric snail, yet it's extremely gratifying to sound out words I see on the street and even recognize some of them.
7) Experienced people: I'm learning so much! I get to have conversations with people who have been around the block a few times and love sharing their experiences with me. Why learn the hard way when there's an easier option?
8) Pre-prepared language lessons: After planning all my own lessons for the last two years, it's been amazing to just sit down with a language nurturer who's been given the lesson plan and resources in advance. I just sit and learn! No worries about what to learn next, how to learn something, how to explain what I need from my language helper, etc., I just show up for my lesson, learn, and practice at home. Spoiled, much?
9) Kids: the other day I went and helped a friend with a creative arts class she does at a local school. The kids there were so great. Even though I didn't understand 98% of what they were saying, they still kept talking to me, showing me their art, and asking me questions as if I understood perfectly. "Oh, you're holding up messy hands with a question tone in your voice? Yes, go wash your hands!"
Well, I could keep going, but that seems like a good start. What are you blessed by today?
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