Cherish-Relish #6: Meeting Up with Friends You Haven’t Seen in Ages

It’s so nice to meet up with friends whom you haven’t seen for a long, long time. These moments of fellowship help to make me aware that my life, that I, that we have been blessed with so many friendships along the way - friendships that have enriched us and made us learn so many things, friendships that have helped us in times of joy and sorrow, friendships that make life happier.

Last week, we had such moments with H's godmothers at Canada’s Wonderland and then we were also so happy to have very close friends from Toronto visit us over the weekend here in London. We felt so happy to be with them, go out to the beach with them, engage in conversation, exchange jokes, laugh together, vent our frustrations, share problems, etc. These are what friends are for! How sad life would be if you didn’t have friends like these. … I cherish and relish our friends and our friendships!

Some friends leave us at a certain point for one reason or another. In Facebook parlance, they “unfriend” us or we “unfriend” them. I will just do my best so that these “unfriendings” are not caused by me, by us directly and intentionally. Whatever the case may be, we shouldn’t forget that our “former” friends are still part of our over-all life experience. We entrust them to the divine and wish them well. We continue to treasure though the true friendships that we may have shared in the past, no matter if that no longer continues in the present.

Cherish-Relish #5: When your 5-year-old wants you to play with her non-stop

As parents with small kids know well, the summer holidays when kids don’t go to school can be quite an intense time because the kids are there needing attention 24/7 on some days.

Today, the third day of our August long weekend here in Canada, I spent a lot of time with our five-year-old - playing, watching TV, teaching her new games, talking, drawing, writing, etc... Sometimes, parents in the same situation feel like we need and want some more time for ourselves.

In such moments, I remind myself that having a child that wants us to play with them is actually a wonderful gift to be treasured and guarded jealously as long as it lasts. There is that stage in our young children’s lives when they constantly want and need us. When that stage is over, they will eventually like to venture out on their own and put a distance between them and us. When that time comes, it’ll be us who will give anything we can in order to get their attention. When I think of that, I want to tell my daughter, “Don’t grow up too fast!” (I actually often tell her that!) Meanwhile, I come back to the present and look mindfully and lovingly at the very energetic five-year-old who wants me to play with her non-stop. I know that this present moment is priceless. I cherish and relish it!

Cherish-Relish #4: A STUDENT'S "THANK YOU"

A WARM HANDSHAKE AND A SINCERE “THANK YOU!” As a university professor teaching numerous courses, I am accustomed to seeing a lot of students come and go, year in, year out. However, I do try to get to know my students personally while I’m their instructor and when, at the end of a course, a student takes the time to approach me, offer a warm handshake and say a sincere “thank you,” adding at times, “I really learned a lot from this course,” I remember why I became a teacher and feel like all of this is worthwhile.

I try to tell my students, “We study for life, not for school,” and that “exams are a necessary evil.” Along the way, I really have had students who, I feel, have truly learned what that means and that really makes me so happy … So, even though I catch myself wishing at times that I could be in a major research institution so I can devote more time and energy to research and writing (yes, I love those activities passionately too), I guess, I still can’t let go of teaching undergraduates … I cherish them and I cherish and relish teaching!

Cherish-Relish Moment #3: CUDDLING AND HAPPINESS

I heard on the radio sometime ago that many people are happiest when cuddling with a loved one. Apropos that, now that it’s summer here and there’s less pressure to be “on time” for school for our little one, the three of us (mommy-daddy-our “baby”) sometimes spend some time (before getting up from bed in the morning) cuddling, playing or just talking in bed. For some reason, these days, H. loves to play, “Mommy, pretend I’m a baby in your tummy...”  

And you know what? Those times are indeed some of the happiest moments for me! They just give me that warm, cozy, nice feeling deep within that makes all the other things in life worthwhile. I cherish and relish them!

Cherish-Relish Moment #2: "Unstiffened" Neck!

Sometime ago I woke up having a very stiff and painful neck. It just progressed so much during the day that I could not move my neck at all. Driving home back from work (just 8 minutes) was dangerous. By the time I got home, my neck hurt so much that I was literally in tears! This was my worst stiff neck so far in my 40 some years of life. For the next few days, I had to resort to painkillers in order to be able to go through the day. 

It is in such times that you realize that having every part of the body functioning as it should be (the normal state of things that we take for granted every day) is actually a wonderful miracle and you are filled with gratitude for that. The other day, I just became aware as I woke up that my once unmoveable neck was functioning perfectly - no stiffness, no pain …  I resolve not to take anything for granted but be more mindful of the gift of health: THANK YOU, UNSTIFFENED NECK. I cherish and relish you!

'CHERISH AND RELISH' LIFE MOMENTS #1. Having a Very Sweet Five-Year Old Daughter

I began this blog with several aims, one major one being to treasure the important moments of life. I've been inspired in this by the blog of Neil Pasricha entitled '1000 Awesome Things' <http://1000awesomethings.com/>. Here is my version of 'counting my blessings'. I'll number them as well as in the 'awesome' blog. I prefer to use the formula that I've grown accustomed to as one of my personal mantras, "Cherish and Relish."

Yesterday, H. was in one her very “sweet” moods and she was asking me and mommy as she was preparing to go to bed, “How much do you think I love you? Give a number.” I said something like “a hundred?” “No,” she replied, “a hundred thousand, million, billion, gezillion with three-fourths and a half …? … !”  I cherish and relish this moment :) !

Thoughts on my Turkey-Greece Trip - May 2013

Theater in ancient Ephesus

 I went on a trip to Turkey and Greece because I had long regarded the fact that <I regularly teach the Paul course and had not yet physically been to Turkey and Greece> a grave lacuna in my education. Hence, in mid-May 2013, with the encouragement and support of King’s academic dean, I went on a trip organized by EU (Educational Opportunities) through their subsidiary, the Jerusalem Center for Biblical Studies, to the two countries which were the main theater for Paul’s missionary activities and the development of earliest Christianity.