ANGELICA G WRITES

Today I stumbled upon a quote that really spoke volumes to me. I thought I’d share it below as it beautifully sums up what I want to write about today.

“If I were called upon to state in a few words the essence of everything I was trying to say both as a novelist and as a preacher it would be something like this: Listen to your life. See it for the fathomless mystery that it is. In the boredom and pain of it no less than in the excitement and gladness: touch, taste, smell your way to the holy and hidden heart of it because in the last analysis all moments are key moments, and life itself is grace.”

– Frederick Buechner

Here in Portugal we’ve just entered our second big lockdown due to the increasing number of Covid-19 cases in the country. This time, I’m (thankfully) finding it much easier to stay home and find joy in the simple, mundane everyday things. Things that I had rarely found joy in pre-covid times. I think such a catastrophic global event like this does that to people – stops us in our tracks and forces us to reflect on various aspects of our world. So although each day has started to feel just like the one before, and some days it’s so hard to see an end in sight, “in the boredom and pain” there is treasure to be found. I’m starting to realize that life really is just made up of all these small, insignificant moments, and that when we stop to listen to them – to our life- we can uncover some pretty cool things.

I used to hate washing the dishes, I found it to be just another boring house chore that simply had to be done (I don’t own a dishwasher nor do I want to at the moment). Boy let me tell you, lockdown has done something to me – now, I often times look forward to washing the dishes. It’s now the time I can reflect on and feel gratitude for the food I just ate. Each bowl, piece of cutlery and glass is an object that helped prepare my meal and allowed me to enjoy it comfortably. The more we’ve been eating at home (since all cafes, restaurants remain shut), the more chances I’ve had to develop this little ritual. A ritual that makes me feel more grateful about the food I consume, encourages me to stop and think about where the food came from and how it got on my plate. Most of all, it brings me a sense of joy in the simple act of washing the dishes. I’m not very consistent or good at meditating, but this small act has really helped me remain present and still amongst the chaos.  

I couldn’t possibly write about finding joy in the simple pleasures of life without talking about bread/pastry. I think my love affair with bread/pastry began when I was about 6 years old. My dad used to bring me along to the local fruit & veg markets every Saturday morning. Not like one of those hip farmer’s markets you see these days with live acoustic guitar and homemade candles. Imagine a huge empty warehouse filled with people selling their fruit & veg, and yelling – nonstop yelling. Our last stop was always the bakery, where dad would buy Lebanese bread because it was the closest thing that resembled Armenian bread. And here comes my favorite part- dad let me pick out something for myself, and I almost always went for the horseshoe bread rolls. I’ve never been able to find these bad boys anywhere else in the world, and I can’t even find a picture to show you– but they were these freshly baked, soft, fluffy bread rolls shaped like horseshoes and covered in sweet sesame seeds. I would get 5 rolls  for just $1AUD and devour almost all before we got home. This was the thing I looked forward to all week: The Saturday-morning-market-bread-roll-ceremony.

Fast forward a few years to 2014, when I visited France for the first time and really understood why there was a patisserie on every corner. Each time I came back to Australia from a Europe trip, I was on the hunt for the best pastries I could get my hands on. Take for example this apricot danish from a small German-owned bakery in Sydney.

I still remember how much joy this little danish brought me one Saturday morning. I was feeling a little low so decided to take a walk around my neighbourhood and popped into this bakery where this little guy was shining bright like a diamond. I took him home and sat in the sunshine on my balcony with a cup of coffee, and really felt that with every bite I took, a little weight lifted off my shoulders. That apricot danish transformed my mood that day, and reminded me that we can always find pockets of joy in each and every day. It doesn’t have to be bread or pastry – but it doesn’t hurt.

What I love so much about food is that when we really touch (in preparing), really taste/smell (in eating), we can discover a deeper sense of fulfilment and satisfaction. And not just in food, but in all of life. I no longer make long lists of New Year’s Resolutions, but one thing I’d really like to do better this year is to be more intentional. When I listen to someone talk, to really, deeply and intentionally listen. When I go for a walk, to walk without my phone, hands in pockets and face titled towards the sky- so that I don’t miss a thing. I think that’s what I want most out of this year- perhaps out of life – to be here for it all. To be really, here for it all. The good & the bad, the sunshine & the storms. Wouldn’t it be a shame to let it all pass by too fast?

I hope you found one thing that made you smile today, and I hope you can always find joy in the tiniest, most uninteresting things.