Flowers for lunch...

I had the best day so far...

I decided to take a day off from running because of the long distance yesterday (albeit it wasn't exactly inline with today's caloric intake....but can't have it all...) So after breakfast I just read and lounged in the sun... LOUNGED IN THE SUN in November! Love it! A also discovered that there was a gecko/lizard purched right above me on the overhang because he/she kindly deposited their morning droppings on my 'just laundered' white shirt...

Speaking of laundry...the thai are SO clean...not only do they shower a minimum of 2-3 times per day but they only wear clothes once before it goes in the laundry! 2 days for PJs! Wow! Its seems inefficient to me... Janejei, my host student ironed my shirts this morning....what a treat! She's so sweet...I love and aspire for that sense of hospitality...

So then we went to the next village over to have lunch at her parent's house (she lives with her grandmother - nicer house and closer to school). Everyone was absolutely amazing...so warm...kept touching me and commenting on how big I was (I've gotten over the discomfort of this as they always repeat 'suay' before and after...which means beautiful...so can't be bad...). Janejei went to help her mother with dinner while two neighbor girls and their 3 year old brother showed me around town...

In their home, they showed me where they raise all of their crickets (the concentrated pretein balances the carbs of the rice - but regardless, I couldn't palate more than one! The concept still doesn't wet my palatte...). Then we saw the cloth weaving machine...you usually see those in native american "this is how they lived" museums...but here, the looms are very much still in use and producing some really beautiful cloth!

Then we went to the temple grounds where we saw a beautiful buddha prayer statue and the girls showed me the proper proceedure on candle lighting and prayer...I really enjoyed that... Then as we passed the temple itself, the monks invited us up and asked to eat...but since we were heading to lunch, we thanked them, bowed and kept on our journey...

Then we walked over to the elementary school...this was where one of the girls picked me a flower...I thought it was a really beautiful gesture...I was touched... Then my little 3-year old picked me a beautiful pink flower from one of the miniature flowering trees (in photos above). Wow! What a pleasure! So rare for me to get flowers and yet what a simple joy! As we walked on...the other girl picked me the mama of all flowers...it almost looks like a white star lilly... I THOUGHT I knew my fav. Flower (calla lilly)...but oh no...this was the most beautiful flower I had ever seen! While I was amazed at itw beauty I decided to see if it had a scent...another surprise! The best smell ever! Like honey from a flower...I was in love!!! This will be the flower in my hand when I marry...it's perfect in every way...

As we were walking back from the school...I thought...wow...these leaves are already wilting a bit...how sad...I'll just go home and have to through these away...what a waste! Perhaps they were meant to be enjoyed on the plant...not picked...

But then it hit me...the joy that I experienced getting those flowers...how happy I was to look at something so beautiful...how potent the amazing fragrance was...how beautiful the thoughts of having that flower at the happiest times in my future... THAT was all ingrained in my head! It's all still there hours after the flowers are gone...that sense of happiness is still there...even this writing reflects it... The flowers were just the catalyst...

Happiness is simple.

Beautiful things will come and go...but those memories...the happiness...they will still be there...until the next flower...

So that was my revelation...or rather the realization of the theory that I know to be true...

We made it back home for a lovely lunch of rice (what else!?) and crickets (or at least THEY had crickets...). It was wonderful...

As we said our goodbyes and were ready to jump back on the scooter, janenei's mother came up to me and handed me a beautiful pink rose (in photo) from her garden...

I smelled it and smiled...

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T