Life is beautiful

There are good people in this world and miracles do happen. We just have to open our eyes to see them.

Life is truly beautiful.

In giving, we receive

A funny thing occurred to me yesterday as I was writing in my journal- it was about my very first lesson as a substitute teacher for a remedial grade 2 class. I had no clue what I was getting myself into. I came from a family of educators, but having studied communication, I cannot say I was expertly versed in how to instruct my pupils, most of whom struggled to read and a few who couldn't recognize much beyond their names. I wanted to introduce myself to my 42 children. I thought deep and hard. Then I wrote on the board:

"I am Miss Morrison

I can be anything I want to be
All I have to do is work hard
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"

I made each of them stand and introduce themselves and tell me what they wanted to be when they grew up and then I went over each word and made them recite it periodically in chorus. I figured I wouldn't have them long enough to successfully teach them all to read but I could motivate them and plant a seed inside them for them to see that their dreams, no matter how harsh their circumstances, could be theirs if they put in the hard work and only believed.

Who would have known that 8 years later, those same words would be an inspiration to me?

Indeed,
"I can be anything I want to be
All I have to do is work hard
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"

So can you.

Enjoy Life

I rode with a Pakistani taxi driver who kept on saying "ENjoy Life" to me the other day. He spoke very little English. He asked me if I would love to hear music and I said "Yes." His reply? Bobbing his head from side to side and smiling, his eyes met mine in the rearview mirror. "Enjoy life."

We talked in the muddy waters lurking in between speakers of different languages about where I came from. "Not Kenya, Jamaica, West Indies....cricket." the last two rang a bell. His conclusion: "Enjoy Life."

I had reached my destination. "Shukaran," I said in Arabic.

"Enjoy Life," was his reply.

He wasn't the last taxi driver to use the verb "enjoy" frequently with me. I took note. Here it is, that a barely functional second language English speaker is telling me one of the most profound messages of the universe in my first language without even knowing it. Isn't that how God speaks?

So, on this day, acknowledging that though I am very far from where I want to be, I am going to be an active participant in the ride and "Enjoy life" as it unveils daily, and a la minute.

Aha! Moments are present continuous.

What I know for sure...

(A la Oprah)

1. Marriage is hard and very serious business. Living so intimately with someone else is a hard pill to swallow, love doesn't make it easier to go down, it just makes you take it and keep on taking it even though you despise popping pills. As Easy Sknaking Chef says, "it's our life journey together."

2. I am blessed. We are blessed. In so many little and very big ways. A package weighing nearly 1kg of saltfish, a very pretty new dress, three bags of Jamaican pimento (Allspice- so called because it has the flavours of four spices in one), my ivory neckalce, a latch hook and my shutterbug magazine arrived last night along with a bottle of Appleton Reserve, a jar of Jamaican Jerk Seasoning, and a few Jamaican scotch bonnet peppers (the hottest and most flavourful. The package was from my Ma and the other gifts were from the couple who brought them to us. Now I have a pretty new year's dress and saltfish to last for months! Luggage space is very precious on transatlantic flights home because space is limited, hefty overweight charges are applied and everyone wants to bring back their granny in their suitcase.

3. Things have been difficult for us, but always and without fail, we never get more than we can bear and God works right on time.

And a bit more general...

4. The friends you have are the friends you keep. New lasting friendships are hard to come by, especially in the transient world of expat life. People re-invent themselves and not always in a holistic way. Pretenses are many. Always trust your spirit when letting people into your life. Finally, when a person shows you who he/she really is, BELIEVE.

5. Embrace the newness and the dynamism of life's changes but hold on to what makes you, you. Change and growth are essential for a happy and peaceful life, but at least hold on to your DNA.

6. When you are hurt and angry, express your emotions and let them go. Bottling them in causes cancer. The same goes for rumination.

7. Music heals, inspires, stimulates, incites, relaxes and rejuvenates. Pick your choice. Choose your pick. You can use it as therapy, enhancement or weapon. Use wisely. Explore other types of music.

8. If the grass is greener on the other side of the lake, chances are they have a water bill bigger than your rent/mortgage. Everything in life comes at an expense. Do not allow others to influence what choices you make for you. The truth about keeping up with the Joneses that you can't. You can just decide to be happy and make do with what you have. This is where creativity comes in, and God-given talents are put to full use. Furthermore, you see all that love, warmth and passion in your home? The Jones would kill to get them. Heaters, expensive lighting and feng shui colour palettes cannot a home make.

9. Hang the devil but give him his due. Give credit where credit is due. It is never good to be the person who only highlights the negative in other persons. Everyone has good qualities. Don't be a Rascal Pascal who only sees the smudge on an otherwise beautiful lipstick that complements the wearer. Give praises as easily as with even more frequency than you do criticisms. Apply this rule to children too. Let them hear you vocalize their triumphs than only hear you go and on about their affinity for failure.

10. Be grateful. It could be 100 times worse and trust me, there are many who have it that way. Yes, it's fine to be upset about it, but never forget just how good you have it even when it seems to be bad. That doesn't mean living in an unhealthy situation, it means celebrating the fact that you have choices at your fingertips to actualize healthier existence. Sad though you may be about particular circumstances, woe is not me.

11. Life is beautiful. Life is good. Celebrate it. Enjoy it. Learn something from it everyday.