In the Country

A positive of visiting parents for an extended period of time (after getting over the shock of being home for an extended period of time) is the appreciation of passing time in what I would have deemed to be uneventful moments at a younger age.

I've planted tomatoes with my father and noticed the baker's precision in his methodology.  The hole is to be of a certain size, followed by the addition of soil, natural fertilizer, water, the plant, and finally more soil.  A cage is prepared and secured with one final dusting, like powdered sugar through a sieve.  Each step is measured not only in quantity but with intention.

I've made an (all-natural) strawberry pie for my parents, however this time, I listened to my Mom's input and added an ingredient to the crust, putting trust in 60 years of experience over AllRecipes.com.  And she in turn, took time to watch and coach me, mixing the ingredients that she used to use and whipping cream "the old way" before speed and minimizing the effort to cook for two became the priority.

I've accepted that breakfast will be an hour without checking my phone, even if I'm just eating oatmeal.

We will have a daily conversation about rain and about the four groundhogs under the two sheds.

I will not walk to the gym but will instead spend a half-hour each way driving "to town".

I will sit with my Uncle just before sunset and watch birds move through the trees, trying to identify each one.

And they won't wash my coffee mug but will allow this one dish to sit on various counters (against 50 years of tradition) until I return to finish the second cup or to make a new one.

 

Be Attitudes

Some days I forget that it is hard to take risks, to make a change.  In many cases, a reward is received shortly after the risk and over time, perhaps the scary part is eventually forgotten.  Hot Air Balloon Ride.

Sometimes, changes are made slowly over time, one small step in front of another and in retrospect, the difference is visible.  Annual 30 days.

For others, the rewards are only visible over time, over 100s of questions of whether you're doing the right thing and of answering to your compass (or your therapist or to God) that indeed, it will be (or was) worth it. Argentina.

Over the course of this last year, I have been thinking of the people who made these changes easier for the making and this is my Friday list for blessings.

Blessed are:

• those who do not correct your grammar while or after you are speaking (unless you’ve asked them to).  Language is hard.  Understanding another is usually pretty easy, especially if you are one of 
• those who listen without interjecting 
• those who remind a person that a little bit of crazy goes with being valiant 
• those who make small breads and facturas
• those who smile freely and laugh loudly
• those who love first
• those who teach
• those who give strong hugs
• those who sit with you in discomfort as easily as they do in comfort
• those who share freely: food, water, time, or tears (as the situation warrants)
• those who encourage

Here's hoping I can pay forward as much as I have received.