This week for Friday Reflections I decided to write about the five things I am most grateful for. I thought about it. Then I thought some more. Then I went off and got cranky at dodgy furniture makers and felt fed up with taxi drivers who don’t know where they are going and I thought about it again. You know I actually practice gratitude on a regular basis. Have done for years. I could write today about the standard la-di-da’s of being grateful for my family, kids, health blah blah blah, but you know I also believe in mindful practice which is about being present in the moment and right now, in this moment I am feeling grateful for other stuff besides the usual. This may seem shallow, vain, selfish, whatever. The fact is that in the last few days a dear friend who is under 40 has had a stroke, my uncle has been diagnosed with cancer, and I have been battling my way through adjusting to life in the Philippines so I’m not feeling overly lovey-dovey about life right now, in this moment. So here it goes.
5 Things I am Grateful For (in this moment)
1. Buffy the vampire slayer. No matter how hard the fight, you can always do it with grace, look glamorous and have fabulous hair. Oh and vampires are a bit sexy.
2. My brain. I’ve been called weird, crazy, super smart, entrepreneurial, stupid, idiotic and brilliant. How awesome that my head can elicit so much out of life. Personally I like that I’m so open to understanding that I constantly seek to learn, understand and free myself from prejudices. I find it sad that people can be so closed off to new experiences, friendships and love. I’m grateful to be of sound mind, to be in control of my head and have the self-awareness and wisdom to know when I can do better, and be of most benefit to others.
3. Food. Food is necessary for survival sure but I’m so grateful I love food. I love everything about food – cooking, learning new cuisines and being open to experiencing them. Food is so symbolic. Used as part of everyday rituals, it brings together friends, families and communities. It is social, opening doors to communication. It nourishes, heals and nurtures. People define themselves by the food they prepare and consume. My husband and I had great discussion about what our first official meal here in Manila would be. We wanted it to be memorable, representative of this adventure we are on. I could write forever about food, recipes, cook books, but I think I will go off and do some baking after I’ve finished this post…
4. A cup of tea. Refreshing in the summer, warming in the winter, comforting when you’re down. What’s not to be grateful for! Tea is a good communicator and I reckon a lot of important world decisions and life ones were made over a good brew. Tea is a healing elixir. When I need to step back, take a moment to breathe, to contemplate and understand how I am feeling, a cup of tea is my best friend in that moment. Do you ever feel that way? It is interesting to note here that in Buddhism, the purpose of drinking tea is to be here in the moment, the act of drinking the tea is an act of just ‘being present’.
5. That I don’t live in the olden days. I’m all about simplicity but not the disempowerment of free thought and the oppression of women (or anyone for that matter). I am grateful for the freedom this day and age gives us. I’m grateful for the power we have as individuals and communities to invoke change through freedom of expression, technology and education. I am so grateful for the Internet and technology which makes the world so much smaller and easier to access. I am grateful we have the resources for medical breakthroughs and scientific outcomes that mean our dear friend can get the treatment he needs to be fully rehabilitated, and my uncle gets the life saving surgery he needs to see another day. A luxury I am very aware, that sadly not everyone has. I am grateful every day for the gifts we have.
Thanks for reading.
