Today I watched a street urchin hungrily devour the left-over snack flung out from a moving car. Gratitude washed over me like morning dew. It is one sight I will not forget in a hurry, at least not in this season of many uncertainties.
That street urchin reminded me to be grateful for food and many other necessities of life which are readily available whenever the needs arise -these privileges should never be taken for granted.
I silently reprimanded my entitled self for the countless times I complained of the bland taste of my meals or boring meal menu, not to mention the times I gulped my food without an appreciation for the hands that made or provided it.
Food is one thing you are not grateful for till it is almost too late to be thankful for it. Something you passively consume till your tongue is bitter from a bout of malaria or a sore throat.
I am immensely grateful for the food I continually have to eat at every turn. Gratefully for the natural sweetness of a strawberry smoothie that runs smoothly down my tongue, for the spiciness of hot wings that makes me take heavy breaths and makes my nose run but doesn’t prevent me from taking more bites of the tender chicken. I am grateful for the times I step into the house and the aroma from a pot of coconut rice hits me, instantly lifting my mood.
In most parts of the world today, food is a privilege. Most times, we ignore how blessed we are to not even worry about it. And even when we do, we worry about its luxury: the salt was too much, the pasta was overcooked, the turkey was not well spiced.
Take a moment today to give thanks for the not so perfect meals we have had, for even the meals we didn’t like because many people do not have the blessing of choice.
As you savor that special delicacy today, be thankful for the hands that made them, thankful you don’t have the flu that stops you from tasting the food because that always sucks.
Remember to spread the love for food by sharing!
Roz and Jeff
Image Credit –@femoree
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