Life's Little Gifts

There is a very famous quote from John Lennon which goes:

"Life is what happens to you when you're making other plans."

I almost feel like that quote was meant just for me although it was written for his son in his 1980 song "Beautiful Boy." But, when I sit and think about it, it is so simple, yet so very very true.  I LOVE to have things planned out and know exactly what will happen next.  I have never liked surprises, and you wouldn't have believed how detailed my lesson plans were when I was teaching!   But, guess what!!!! Life just isn't that way!!!  No wonder I have felt exhausted almost all of my life.  I have been fighting against something that I was NEVER EVER going to beat.  It only took me 35 years to finally start to figure it out!!  God has an amazing sense of humor by sending me to Nigeria to experience what life is like when none of your plans work out!:)  And you know what??? It is a little uncomfortable for me...kind of like learning how to ride a bike for the first time.  You are afraid you'll fall off , but you also know how much freedom you'll have once you have this thing down.  Slowly, I am learning to see the freedom I can have by letting go of the plans I think I need and starting to pay attention to what is right in front of my face....you just never know what little gifts you may find if you have the time (and aren't busy making other plans)...

Beautiful children in a faraway place...



 

experiencing their joy...

Or the simple gift of a coconut from a teacher who has no "real" money to give to show appreciation...

Or do do (pronounced doe doe) a.k.a. fried plantains made by Happiness simply because she knows I like them...I never told her to make them...

or a little nibbler...

I swear I did NOT tell him to do this....he put on the ears and grabbed the carrot all by himself!

And a surprise gift from a friend who has since moved away from Lagos.  Sent across continents (and arrived before the delivery of packages was cut off!!!  Thank you Angela and Gerry!)

I read what it said, but I had no idea the quote was Nigerian.  The gift of friendship is evident to me in so many ways every single day through emails, phone calls, messages, conversations,comments, a simple smile or a shoulder to cry on.  There are so many gifts in all of our lives each and every day that may go unnoticed while we are making other plans.   And, so, I guess I'll end this post the way it began ...with a quote.