I told them I was going to make them spaghetti which they had never had though they knew something about the long pasta noodles. We found spaghetti, tomato sauce, onions, spices, bread, meat (Spam) soft drinks, various biscuits, powdered milk and Con Feeks, which turned out to be Corn Flakes.
Though it is difficult for Sunkarie to let a man into her cooking space, she conceded, though she too wanted to learn how to make spaghetti, so together we prepared for the party. I really spiced up the sauce and apart from Grandpa everyone enjoyed the new dish which disappeared quickly. As for the Con Feeks, they were enjoyed on Sunday morning. A little water in a cup, some powdered milk and add the Corn Flakes. Special Treat, coming up.
I love being hosted by this generous family and am deeply grateful for all they do to make me feel at home. My clothes get washed daily and ironed as needed, three meals a day somewhat modified to avoid too much palm oil. I am thankful for warm water each morning for my bucket shower, morning devotions each day before school with the whole family to start the day, and long evenings on the veranda after the sun sets and homework is done. Life is not handed one on a platter and gratitude seems closer to the surface of life, for big and small things. Gratitude for this moment in time.
There are countless books on how to lead a more grateful life. This Raptitude article on gratitude is probably the best thing I have yet to read on the subject; living gratefully in this moment for this particular gift and not ending each day with a list of five things to be grateful for or keeping a gratitude journal. “Gratitude, when we do genuinely feel it, arises from experiences we are currently having, not from evaluating our lives in our heads.”