thankful :: week 2

Today, at the end of a challenging week, my gratefulness flows out of various simple, lovely things. I am thankful for this frangipani tree, in our meditation center garden, for the fruitfulness of a dream.

For the beauty of a clear day, for the cool mornings when I sit on the porch all alone.

For our friends, Mike and Caroline (we met them in Nepal) staying nearby and babysitting so I could have a date with Chinua, riding behind him on the scooter, getting lost in the dark together, laughing about it.

For the Mapusa market (hot and crowded though it can be) and how I have learned to navigate it. For the last seeds, the ones I bought there, the ones that I will plant soon.

For pomegranates.

For herons and egrets and the large eagle's nest in the tree at the beach. For a glimpse of the eagle that is perched there. For your beautiful earth, God. What a gift.

For baking, even on hot days. For the banana bread that Kid A made, all proud and responsible, taking charge from start to finish. For the shape of our family now, the way everyone is growing and changing.

For our relative health as we struggle along with the end of the staph attack (we pray the end) and with the mumps (of all things), and Chinua's fourth migraine in two months. Even as I try to keep our little family healthy, I see how they are. I see them thriving and dealing with these short illnesses, and I am so thankful for our health.

Join in, if you like, by linking to your post or simply writing your thanks in the comments below.