Gobble Gobble

I was talking to my sister Jesse tonight and once again she inspired some thinking in me….Thinking about gifts, giving and receiving. Thinking about what really to be thankful for.

It’s not so much the gift itself, as it is what’s behind it. To me getting and giving a gift is all about the thought ,the time ,the caring and the relationship that must be behind a gift to give it.
Marvelas birthday was today. She is 11. I got home a little too late, and to be honest forgot what day it was(knowing her birthday was the 22nd, but thinking it was the 25th) I handed her a bag through the fence and she offered a quiet smile and laughter. I know she loves me. I know she knows I love her. In that bag was journal ,stickers, pencils and pens and a math book. Nothing too special or extravagant. I didn’t watch her open it, and I hope she smiled when she did. Maybe she won’t until she opens the journal. Marvela and I have spent countless hours in my house. Talking, laughing, dancing, playing games,cooking. However when she is in my house one of the first things she always does is read the quote I have on my wall, “A beautiful Day” song by India Arie . She loves it, I love it. I write it in her journal. I hope those words hold her true to herself like they do to me. That is the only gift I can think and love to give her.

Today is also the day I get back from Orealla. I fall more and deeper in love everytime I go. But I fall hardest for the boy I work with. Today we ran with a bubble wand learning slow and fast, and played a matching game with animals to learn different and the same. I love his facial expressions. And his face. Seriously. And badly. He is so animated and so fun and so easy to love. Him and his family.I always bring him school things, fun things, things to learn with. Those are my gifts to him, along with my time and hopefully teaching. He gives me his time as a gift too, and today, his mom Vierona, had a gift for me as well. It was my first present as a teacher. She had her husband John ride his bike back to te home to retrieve it. She had it placed in a black plastic bag which Reon handed me with eyes glowing. In the bag I found a handmade straw hand fan that is too beautiful for words, and took longer to make than it takes to plan, cook, eat, clean up and reminisce about a thanksgiving meal,im sure. In it I found satisfactioin and thankfulness and gratefulness for her and me in return. It’s a gift I will use in the hot thick air here and think of them and feel them on my skin and in my heart.

I have also had quite a few friends and family give to Camp Glow. (Big shout out and thank you! You know who you are!!) I can’t wait to take my girls and I know they are even more excited! So happy!! I sat down and talked with one of the girls grandmas the other day in the market. Going over details, talking through some things, and eventually the cost came up. I didn’t have to ask to know that it was a worry to her. Giving money might not always seem as meaningful, but if I describe the energy and gratefulness and surrender this grandma gave me with her eyes I could tell you it is so meaningful. Sometimes there is meaning to be found in the things that aren’t as meaningful because of the feeling it can really bring. The single exhale it causes a body to have to know and not worry. So thank you for that gift, that gift that will keep on giving,especially when I show you the picture of the girls at camp. You are the reasons it happened. Because you cared about me, and the girls without even knowing them and you shared a gift, simply because you could and you did.

And maybe its just lucky and that’s the best gift of all we have, to care about eachother and love eachother and to accept eachothers love and gifts as good. And return those gifts with the love we pass on to one another.



Give a gift of thanks. Accept a gift of offering. Love , Be thankful, Eat Turkey.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I AM SO THANKFUL FOR ALL OF YOU!