This photo is only one of the beautiful views outside Cormaria, and I found myself thankful to God for this experience of being surrounded by beauty. There were flowers, wild free-growing flowers in many places around the property, and views of Sag Harbor that were exquisite from sunrise to sunset, as well as on cloudy days and sunny days. I loved the flowers so much that I did a youtube video.
As I was resetting one of the tables in the dining room at Cormaria, I looked at some simple things as a salt and pepper shaker and a sugar dispenser, and I realized how ordinary these things are for me in my everyday life. And I thought of some of the destitute in sub-Saharan Africa, or people who are living in the tent cities in Haiti as a result of the earthquake. The following are "ordinaries" for me, for example...
As I thought about these things, and other things I personally consider a normal, even essential part of my life, I could not imagine what it would be like to live without them - sleeping in a tent on the ground, unable to use electricity, being without shelter.
I am always incredibly grateful for the beauty that I have experienced and the beauty that surrounds me. It is not so often that I remember gratitude for the ordinary. So, I take this moment to thank God for these extraordinary things for the destitute which are ordinary for me - towels, a bed, an iron, a toilet, clean dishes and cooking and eating utensils, a wonderful bed and shelter. And I realize, looking at news reports and documentaries, and hearing the experiences of some missionaries, how far the poor are from the UN millenium goals. And then I reflect on the other experiences of some of our sisters who work with the poor - they are so often willing to offer a seat on their chairless floor, to greet them with a smile and to share the little they have.
I have so much to be grateful for, and so much to learn from the poor.
