Thankful

Today is Thanksgiving, or in Spanish, “Dia de accion de gracias.” Of course, the holiday is not celebrated here in Costa Rica (though Black Friday or “viernes negro” is). But to commemorate today I thought I’d write a list of some of the things I’m thankful for about where I am (and to distract myself from thinking of where I’m not).

1.     Spanish

There are many times when I have not been thankful for the Spanish language and the mountain of mistakes I make while speaking it, but today I am. I am thankful for the beauty of the way people speak it, the nuances of the lifts and falls, which I don’t think I’ll ever quite learn even after I’ve mastered grammar and pronunciation.

     I’m thankful for the truths of which this language reminds me. In Spanish you can be nervous, lazy, excited, or afraid, but it’s not uncommon grammatically to have or to be given nerves, laziness, excitement, or fear. One is never hungry or thirsty but has hunger or thirst. This is a good reminder that these conditions—nervous, lazy, hungry, sad—are not things that we are. They are things that we receive and let go of, things that we pick up and put down, things that we carry like so many shopping bags on black Friday.

     And I’m thankful for the mysteries of Spanish that English doesn’t understand. For example in Spanish, there is one verb, “esperar,” that is used for three of our English verbs—to wait, to expect, and to hope. In Spanish, ‘I didn’t expect that you would come,’ ‘I hope to become a lawyer,’ and ‘I am waiting for the results’ all use the same verb. I don’t know what the significance of this is, but it seems important, doesn’t it?

2.     Food

Though I’m dearly missing stuffing, creamed corn, and pumpkin-flavored anything, I have to say that I know I will crave fresh papaya, pineapple, and ‘cas’ when I return to the U.S. I’m hoping to recreate some of the delicious food I’ve had here when I go home, but these tropical fruits in all their goodness can only be had here—airport customs assures that!

I am thankful to be abundantly well-fed and I’m also thankful for food’s meaning. During orientation the first day in Costa Rica, our program directors encouraged us to try everything we were offered, eat everything on our plate (at least the first few nights), and to never speak badly about the food because here, food equals love. In my families, I’ve found this to be true. My last morning in San Jose, my host mom prepared me a breakfast with all of the works—bread, cheese, natilla, two types of fruit, coffee, and orange juice. And that morning, the directors’ words came back to me. Yes—food equals love.

3.     Sun

Though the weather today is chilly, cloudy, and rainy—appropriately Thanksgiving-like—I am so thankful for the norm. Even in the rainy season, the day almost always starts out warm and sunny. No matter how much time I spend outside during the day, I always feel like I’m not taking enough advantage of the fresh air and gorgeous views here. Adjusting to winter weather back home will not be easy!

4.     Family

I’m thankful for my host family here. I can’t imagine having a stranger live in my home who struggles to speak my language. Though I’m sure it is uncomfortable for them, I know they make extra effort to make me feel at home here and I am so grateful for the consistent grace they extend to me.

I’m also so thankful to know I have family and friends at home who I can look forward to seeing when I return! God has blessed me far beyond what I deserve.

There are many other things that I could list. But that is a start. I am thankful for God’s faithfulness throughout this semester and I continue to pray to lean on His faithfulness for the last few days.