but what about the hard days?

I love this blog. I love that I write about the funny, crazy, ridiculous yet also beautiful and delightful things I find while living overseas. But what about the hard, the ugly, the messy?  I often leave those out.

Today, I'm feeling messy.  Today has been hard and ugly.  It's just been one of those days.

So today, I want to choose to write about what has encouraged me today.  Things right here in my own East Asian city.

1. I love that the lady who sells the giant egg roll-like burritos on a cart outside of school, always smiles when she sees me and knows that I want the burrito without meat and without the weird sauce.  In a weird way, I feel so known by her.

2. I love that my teacher knows when I'm tired, knows when I'm struggling, and without even asking me knows that something's wrong.  And in those moments, she doesn't make me talk about it, but she decides that it's time to take a break and do something fun! (Puts the language book away and makes us tea or lets me paint, do calligraphy or listen to music.)  It's so wonderful.

3. I love that my local friends desire to love me and pray for me especially when I'm not doing well. It's an incredible blessing that they serve me in this way.  I also love that everytime one particular friend comes over, she sits next to me and proceeds to sing a song about how beautiful my eyes/eyelashes are.  She's being completely serious, but it always makes me laugh.

4. I also love that that same friend sometimes randomly fall asleep on the couch at my house just because she says it's so "comfortable" and so "warm" and will stand up and do jumping jacks to make herself stay awake.

5. When the day has been long and tiring, I love coming home to said comfortable and warm apartment.

And there's so much more... but that was today.  Grateful for the little blessings in the midst of hard days.