Thursday, November 26, 2009

Mortar and Pestle, Sore Muscles, and Dimpled Hands are what I am grateful for


CKHB exhorts us to share our thankfulness by showing, not telling: a solid writerly advice. My post yesterday is a bit of a downer, but today's will hopefully be more uplifting.

Sharing the ea
rthy, old-fashioned task of pounding aromatics in a stone mortar and pestle with my budding 9-year old cook, and enjoying the bursts of fragrance released from the ginger, scallions and garlic, mixed in with the air that is already perfumed with freshly ground star anise, clove, coriander and fennel.

[mortar and pestle from rosefirerising from Flikr Creative Commons]

My 7-year old's dimpled hands coaxing a surprisingly resonant Bach Minute from his tiny viola, the same dimpled hands he used to pat my hand gently to say good night.

Sore abdominal muscles reminding me that the torturous core-strengthening exercises in Tae Kwon Do class are not in vain.

Thermometer readings that no longer hover around 101 and the resumption of white blood cells production.

Sleep; restorative, healing sleep.

May you have many moments of thankfulness to choose from, every day.

8 comments:

storyqueen said...

This is really beautiful. I teared up at the dimpled hands...not sure exactly why, but there is something there...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Shelley

tanita✿davis said...

I just scorched the braised apples, so now it smells like Thanksgiving -- burnt offerings. ;)

Happy day to you and yours, so glad E. is better!

Tricia J. O'Brien said...

Beautiful imagery. You show us well.
Happy Thanksgiving and breathe deeply of the aromatics.

Davin Malasarn said...

This are exquisite moments, Yat-Yee! Thanks for describing them so wonderfully. :) Happy Thanksgiving, and I really hope you can focus on the positive. I know you are going through a lot right now. Please hang in there. I'm thinking of you.

Unknown said...

That was lovely, particularly the part about the dimpled hands.

Yat-Yee said...

Shelley and Beth: there is something about dimpled hands that draw out strong emotions.

Tanita: Burnt offerings of thanksgiving! Ha!

Tricia and Davin: thanks. I am reminding myself as often as I can to breathe in the aromatics, as it were.

Nandini said...

Yat-Yee, It's humbling to read your post. Yes, there are things to be thankful for, even in the most challenging situation. I'm so glad you are able to remember and celebrate them. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I'm grateful for friends like you. xo

Yat-Yee said...

Nandini: I am not sure if my post deserves to be humbling, but thank you. Thanks for your support and friendship.