Perspective

It’s been a while since we've managed to get a post up here. It’s not that we don’t have lots that we've wanted to share; we definitely do. It’s more because we have been trying to learn to balance. There’s a lot that comes with adapting a new lifestyle in a different country, as some of you probably know. Part of that is learning new priorities, and learning to balance all over again. When do we work, when should we play, when can we just sleep? When are relationships important, and when does the housework get done? What is pressing, and what will keep for a little while? We all ask ourselves these questions, and we all have to re-hash them when something big changes in our lives. That’s where we are now. That’s mostly why we’ve been so tardy in updating this blog. Our apologies to those who have been kind enough to tag along with us.

"...you know what I'm craving? A little perspective. That's it. I'd like some fresh, clear, well seasoned perspective. Can you suggest a good wine to go with that?" - Anton Ego, Ratatouille

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about perspective. About how we choose to look at things can really change how we experience life. As my dad once told me, life is a beautiful piece of art. However, we have a choice as to whether we decide to stare at the bare, empty back of a painting, or turn it around and see the colours and shapes and light that create the beauty of the front of the painting. It’s the same work of art. But what you get out of it depends entirely on whether you choose to look at the front, or the back.

I love it here in Mazatlan; that I cannot deny. I love the work that we have the delightful opportunity of doing. But homesickness can be a powerful thing, especially to a girl who’s never lived more than a day’s drive from any one member of her family. It’s easy to remember all the warm, cozy feelings of home that make me feel like even a -40 Manitoba winter would be the most wonderful thing in the world. I can think about how I won’t have a white Christmas, or how there’s a severe lack of tea selection at our local grocery store, but then I’m entirely missing it! I’m missing the beauty of the here and now, the beauty of a potential Christmas on the beach, the incredible selection of fresh, local fruit at our neighbourhood market. I can get discouraged about all kinds of other things too. I can dwell on how ridiculously bad my Spanish is, or remember that two months ago I could barely say “hola.” It’s all about my perspective, in so many areas of my life.

On Canadian Thanksgiving, Justin and I sat down over tea and coffee and decided to make a list of things that we were thankful for here in Mazatlan. I’m going to share a bit of that list with you.

Thankgsiving 2014 – We are thankful for:

  1)      Geckos

  2)      Fresh squeezed orange juice

  3)      Each other

  4)      Public transportation

  5)      Bricks and bright colours

  6)      Fresh, local produce at our market

  7)      Hugs from the kids

  8)      The trees in our backyard

  9)      Clean water

  10)   Ocean waves (and cool-looking crabs in the waves)

  11)   A feeling of purpose

  12)   Our home

  13)   The church we attend

  14)   Live Mexican music

  15)   Our friends and family right here in Mazatlan

The trees in our backyard

Thanksgiving Day was when Canada-sickness has hit me hardest since arriving here. I missed the colourful leaves, the brisk air, and all those other nostalgic smells and sights that I tend to romanticize. That day however, I had so much to be thankful for. That very morning I got to walk along a beautifully calm, blue ocean with the greatest guy I’ve ever met (and am married to!). As we stopped to watch some sea birds, we noticed fish swimming above the rocks in the ocean! As we observed from above the water, we saw angel fish, a puffer fish, an eel, and several other species we could not identify. That afternoon after church we got to spend some time with the moms of the kids at R&Ws, showing them a video explaining that God created them and cares about them.

Really now. Sure, I didn’t get my mom’s turnip casserole, I missed out on the annual family nature walk, and I didn’t get to wear a cozy fall wool sweater. But let’s be serious. It was a beautiful and memorable day in so many different and equally as amazing ways, surrounded by people and families that I am growing to care about so quickly.

I don’t think I can get any sappier, so I’ll conclude:

It’s all about my perspective.