Things I'm thankful for

With all this extra time on my hands right now (I'm between semesters in school), as usual, I'm becoming reflective. This can be dangerous, but right now I'm reflecting on positive things. Specifically, I'm thinking about how "blessed" (I can't think of any other word for it) I have been to be surrounded for much of my life by people who are always demonstrating to me how to be truly good and truly generous.

Our recent guest, MA, is an example of this. She had asked if she could bring anything for me from Liberia, and while at first I thought, "what the heck could I possibly want from Liberia?" I decided it was worth asking for certain food items that I haven't been able to find here. As a vegetarian in the United States, even in a small town in Wyoming, I had lots of protein options available to me (cheap good cheese, tofu, tempeh, lots of different kinds of beans, fake meats, etc.). So I asked MA to bring me the beans that I can't find here – red lentils, black beans, and pinto beans. I also asked her for curry paste. It sounds silly, but if you had to eat chickpeas and white beans every day, you'd probably be very thankful when a guest showed up at your house with this:

Actually, this is just a sample of what MA brought me. I have several more pounds of black beans and pinto beans.

I cooked a curry feast for my ninth wedding anniversary two days ago, and it was delicious, and I silently thanked MA as I ate my dinner.

I was really touched by MA's generosity, and I got to see her demonstrate it over and over during her time here. She might end up reading this post, but she won't be surprised to read that I think she directed that generosity towards T and me a little too much. But I also know that back home she does a great deal of good for those around her, and she, like many others in my life, inspires me to try to be good and generous, too.