Thank You for New Windows

Photo by Thea Sandoval

Who doesn't love beautiful and peaceful fall mornings? All mornings spent at home are beautiful to me, but the magnificence of the autumn season just magnifies its simple beauty. Last night, we had a fun, gleeful Thanksgiving celebration with my parents' Couples for Christ family. This morning I woke up to an opposite ambience -- it was quiet and calm, with sunrays coming through the windows and all. I sat beside our living room window and I said a little "thank you" inside that all is well with my soul again. I started thanking God for all His small blessings that we fail to notice when our lives become a little less than perfect.

Art from seedsoffaith.com

It's been months since I was able to really stop and appreciate the beauty of life and all the gifts that were given to me.

I thought this morning was the perfect time for me to reflect and say a "salamat" (thank you) for everything.

First and foremost, I am thankful for the food that my mom cooked last night. Oh, they were soooo good and masarap! I pray for others who struggle daily to provide food on their tables for their families, and that those who can would be grateful for their blessings.

Even though I am not part of a couple (just yet -- postive thinking dapat!), I loved seeing the happy faces of the couples who came for dinner last night. I am thankful that instead of getting disillusioned after a few happenings in my life, I can still take comfort that I was able to keep my dream intact... the dream that one day, I will find a partner who will be there for me through thick and thin, and will show me real love.

I am thankful for my mom and sister who were in the kitchen earlier preparing dilis (sweetened anchovies) for my sister's boyfriend's family lunch. Just hearing their laughter and chatter made my heart happy. I am thankful for my dad who is at the gym and who at the age of 64 is still healthy and can do weightlifting. 64 with abs talaga! ;) (I just want to note as well that if he wasn't at the gym, the quiet morning wouldn't have been possible, because whenever he and my mom are together, our mornings are not always so peaceful. So thank you din for that? Haha!)

I am also thankful that this week I will be flying to what others may consider as "middle of nowhere" Canada for a work trip. Not everybody gets the opportunity to see that side of Canada kaya. Hehehe!

Last but not the least, I am thankful for new windows (literally and figuratively).

The other day my co-worker and I were chatting, and she was telling us about how windows are like tires; nobody wants to get them because they're expensive but you need them. When we bought our house a few years back, it had very old windows. That was a part of the deal with the former owner. She would take our bid if we were okay that she wouldn't be replacing the old roof and windows. And because windows are so expensive here (which I still don't know how they can be), it took a bit of time before we got them replaced. I remember how it was always colder inside the house during winter time even with the heat on, because the cold winds could seep through the sides of our windows na. So just imagine how we're so lucky that this winter, we won't have to deal with that anymore. And then that's when I remembered my conversation with my colleague at work and thought to myself, how can something that everybody thinks is just a "requirement" to have (in this case, windows) feel like such a blessing to another person (me)? And so, I am thankful that we were able to afford new windows this year. (Now time to save for new blinds. ;))

Now figuratively speaking... I am thankful that God has blessed me with a "look out the window to appreciate the view" type of personality. I welcomed this year with such a happy spirit and a strong faith that this year would be a very good one. The first half of the year was perfect until a challenge came mid-year that made me question God's plans for my life again. He closed a door that I thought He opened for me because all these years I've been working hard to be good and I deserve to get my reward. (I could feel entitled that way sometimes.) But then again, when I think about it now, maybe the door was opened temporarily just so I would learn more about my character and strength as a woman and prepare myself better for the real thing. Going back to what I was saying earlier (so that I don't open a can of worms here, haha!), despite disappointments, I have that "look out the window to appreciate the view until a new door opens" type of personality. A door may have closed, but I am thankful for new windows with sunrays coming through it pa! :)