The Gratitide Project: Day 3

Good day, all!

Is it odd to begin each post with a greeting? After all, I know not whether I even have any readers. Call it optimism or an ingrained habit, but it just doesn't sit well with me to jump right into writing without first sharing a salutation, though it were only to be lost in cyber-world.

Any of you who have followed a similar Gratitude Project might be able to relate with a current "problem" which I seem to be having: I find myself scrutinizing which three gratitude-inspiring items will make it into the top three for each day. For there are many things for which I am thankful, whether people or things or even concepts, and each presses for attention. I have no illusions that my top three for any given day are by any means noble; I simply try to acknowledge which things resonate with who I am and perhaps have brought me some measure of happiness or pleasure in the present or past. And so, here goes for another day:

1. Birkenstocks -- I am pleased to have at my disposal one pair of Birkenstocks, a relatively recent aquisition which was a "just because" gift from my thoughtful husband. Actually, it gets even better: he surprisingly found them in a second-hand store; they were the only pair there, exactly my size, and looked as though they had not once been worn! Though the breaking-in process was long and somewhat physically painful, they are now my most-loved, comfortable, and frequently worn footwear. The moment I slide my feet into them, it is the feeling of old friends being reunited -- day after day after day!

2. Rain -- Living now as we do in Panama City, Central America, tropical rains are a constant reality, except during the four-month "summer" (which is the dry season; funnily enough, the eight-month rainy season is referred to as "winter", despite the fact that the temperature seldom drops below 30ºC). And, although the rain makes it difficult to launder and dry our clothes, the way it refreshes everything -- the land, the air, the temperature -- extends even to my mind and my spirit, and I feel as though, just as the land has received a thorough washing from nature as the spontaneous rivers carry away the dirt and debris, so, too, has my soul been cleansed.

3. Papaya -- I am a dedicated lover of all fruits tropical; really, all fruit, regardless from whence it comes. And while I miss the fresh raspberries, strawberries and saskatoonberries of my home and native land, there is something about the flavourful, tender flesh of the papaya that never ceases to please me! Whether on its own, accompanied by yogurt or other fruits, or in a smoothie, papaya is always a winning choice. And as they grow here in Panama in abundance, I am grateful that I am seldom without this delicious accompaniment upon my plate!