An Attitude of Gratitude

          The route to my grandma's house was a familiar one, and one I took often during college. Instead of going "over the river and through the wood," I would take the Tacoma Narrows Bridge across the Puget Sound and then go through the woods of firs and pines. This particular time, my uncle Paul had picked me up to give me a ride to my grandma's house for Thanksgiving.There were three things that were almost always a given at Grandma's house. The first was that there would most likely be Marion berry pie with Tillamook Ice Cream. It was highly encouraged to eat it for breakfast, because as my grandma would say, "It counts as a fruit." The second given was that there would be napping under homemade quilts in front of the TV while watching old movies. The third given was the feeling of love that could be found in every corner of the house from the hand stitched notes of love on the Ragedy Ann dolls to the animals that had been taken in that always seemed to find my grandma to the hugs at the backdoor. We sang along to Janis Joplin during the hour-long drive as I eagerly awaited getting to one of my favorite place.

          When we pulled up the gravel driveway, I was surprised there weren't any lights on. Were Grandma and Uncle Roy not home? We pulled in and parked behind Uncle Roy's Bronco. 

          "We haven't had power the past couple of days. There was a storm that knocked out the power lines. They don't know when it will be back up again. Ours was out too, but it came back on about a day ago," my uncle said.  

          I was surprised. Maybe I should have waited to come until the power had come back on. I had brought work to do on my laptop. It was too late now though. I was here. Thanksgiving was a couple days out still, so hopefully it would be back on before then. Uncle Paul said his hellos to Grandma and Uncle Roy, before heading back home. 

Here's an old picture of my grandma and I at her house. 

          We settled in the living room under quilts. Uncle Roy and Grandma confirmed everything that Paul had said. They hadn't had power for the past couple of days, and that they didn't know when it would come back on. They added that they had been fine though. Uncle Roy had made a few trips into town to buy some food and supplies, but other than that hadn't needed to change much of their normal routines. My uncle still got up everyday to go work at the shipyard. 
          My grandma asked me if I wanted some hot chocolate. I said I did. 
          "One of the things I had to go out to get was water," My uncle said, while Grandma was in the kitchen using the gas stove to make hot chocolate.                    Having grown up in the depression, my grandma hoarded food. I slept in the extra bedroom, which also served as an extra pantry for canned and dried goods. She also kept big containers of water. It had come in handy this time, but she added bleach to the water so it wouldn't go bad. 
          "The animals wouldn't drink the bleach water, but Grandma still does. So we have non-bleach water if you want some."
          I was skeptical that my grandma was currently making me hot chocolate  with water that neither the cat nor the dog would drink. 
          She handed me the hot chocolate and settled back in her recliner underneath her quilt. I watched her take the first sip. The face she made was not quite a grimace. She mumbled under her breath that the bleach was pretty strong, but it wasn't a complaint. I drank mine without saying anything. A little bleach wouldn't hurt anyone. Well it could, but I wasn't going to think about that. 
          We spent the rest of the evening in the living room all together under quilts listening to the Mariner's game on the radio. Even the animals joined us. The dog Rose was sleeping on the rug, while the cat Rose slept on Grandma's lap. Every once in awhile, the gas heater in the corner would kick in. We sat there talking in between innings until the sun went down. Eventually we couldn't see each other and decided it was time to go to bed. 
          We used a flashlight to find our way to our rooms, not that we needed one. We all knew the house with our eyes closed. The power came on the next day. My parents came a day later and we celebrated Thanksgiving like normal. Though I don't remember much about that actual Thanksgiving. Even though I had been initially a little annoyed to be without power, I was so happy and grateful in that time spent with my grandma and uncle. 

        This week I was thinking about how I was going to teach my students about having gratitude. This story came to mind, as it does every year around this time. It's a reminder for me to have gratitude for what I have (i.e. quality time with people I love) and not to focus on what is missing (i.e. power). I needed this reminder this year. My lifestyle in El Salvador is very different than it was in Taiwan. It's hard not to focus on the absence of some things I had while I was living in Taiwan, and instead focus on what I have to be grateful for here. I do have a lot to be grateful about my situation in El Salvador. As it is close to Thanksgiving, here is my list of what I am grateful for about living in El Salvador. 

I'm grateful for the beaches and these views.

What I Am Grateful For

1.My students/parents          

I have a really nice class. They are thoughtful, smart, and kind. They get excited about learning new things, and are just generally happy kids. They impress me and make me laugh daily. Their parents have also been very supportive. In conferences, many asked me about action steps they could be taking at home. I have also had many parents check-in to see how my transition to moving to El Salvador has been. 

2. Having a place to live/close to school

I live in a complejo with many of the other foreign teachers. It only takes a quick group message if you need something and there are many offers of help.  My roommate and I have our own house and backyard. The school pays for this housing. It is also very conveniently located near the school, so I walk to school each day. 

3. Haydee

The school requires us to have a maid come twice a week to our house. At first I was opposed to this. Why pay to have someone do something that I could do myself? Our empleada, Haydee, is such a blessing and I am so thankful to have her. She cleans, does our laundry, and cooks for us. It is so nice coming home after work and not having to worry about doing these chores. I also have much  more . . .     

                      

4. Time to Write

With Haydee doing the housekeeping, I have a lot more free time.  I have been using this time to work on several writing projects, including my book. This is something that I didn't have an established routine for in Taiwan. It have really enjoyed getting back into establishing daily writing routines again. 

5. Cindy/Spanish

One of my goals for living here is to learn Spanish. I get free Spanish classes through the school. There are only three of us in the class, and I really enjoy everyone's company.  Our teacher, Cindy, is also fantastic. The class is entirely in Spanish, which is what I need. I already can speak and understand way more Spanish than when I first came here. I also know way more Spanish than I do Chinese. Plus, I can read Spanish! 

6. Yoga

There is a group of us who walk to a yoga class every Tuesday. I started going to yoga somewhat consistently last year with Janice. I am so happy that I can continue the practice. I feel so zen and relaxed after class. The meditation is also very helpful to me. 

7. Cooking

In Taiwan, I rarely cooked. We didn't have a working oven, and also it was hard to find the ingredients I needed. I cook a lot more here. I have enjoyed getting back in the kitchen and seeing the end product of a meal. 

8. I'll be home for Christmas

Last year, I wasn't able to come home for Christmas. This year, I am so excited that I will get to go home for two weeks. I don't even care that it will be bitterly cold.