One day, I was having lunch at the cosy home of a longtime married couple. The wife and I were in the backyard having a convo over with a big bowl of excellent mangoes, and by excellent I mean – excellent. I’m a bit biased ’cause mangoes are my favourite fruit, but really y’all – this set of mangoes was super sweet and filled with flavour.

Something struck me half-way through the mango-mauling session. On the surface, it might appear like a kind of comparison, but the fruit of this post makes it more of a life lesson to me. We can see experiences as educational opportunities and others as examples along the way. As much as I enjoyed mangoes then as much as I do now, my appreciation wasn’t the same.

As my lunch partner’s stack of eaten fruits piled up, I observed that all that was left was the hairless seed on each. And I mean, not a hair – not even a morsel of fruit. It was now just the bald remnant of a formerly-filling fruit. You see, she enjoyed the mango-meal so much that she savoured every part (even the skin was now like chewing gum), while my stack revealed some food had been taken for granted…little pockets of pulp and nutrients galore in the skin…untouched.

The lesson reminds me of what many of us hear from our parents, “waste not, want not.” I want to learn to be thankful for what I’m given, and really appreciate it. I didn’t beat myself up after realizing that I was focusing on eating more mangoes instead of making the most of each fruit, but I do remember the experience every now and then as a note to self, to fully embrace what God so graciously provides.

Others can serve as examples too; there’s an alternative to comparison and it’s called learning. Without words, but through actions, I was taught a lesson about value and what it looks like in real life. In other areas of life, I can identify and some have shared much of the same sentiment shared here, but it just goes to show you, that we have a tendency to forget the lighter things are and the more we have. I hope and pray be grateful in all seasons.

This doesn’t mean we have to pressure ourselves into gobbling up every single crumb and literally licking plates and cutlery clinic-clean, but I hope it’s a reminder (to me too) to prompt ourselves to really stretch and grow in gratitude for what we receive whatever page in the book of life we’re on.

On that note, thanks for being here and taking the time to read today’s post. I appreciate it – and you.

Ciao for now