woensdag 25 februari 2015

Chocolate and jelly bean surprises




Forrest Gump said: "life's like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." Forrest was right, life is sweet and deliciously surprising. You never know what's around the corner. Sometimes it is a scrumptious treat and you have to bite through something bitter to get to the soft gooey middle. I do think life is more like Bertie Bott's every flavored beans as described in Harry Potter's books. Sometimes you get a snot flavor one. The Harry Potter fans probably understand what I am saying, but let me explain for those who have never heard of Bertie Bott. In the books, Harry Potter enjoys eating candy and the wizarding world has some unusual candies. Bertie Bott's every flavored beans are exactly that. Jelly beans in every flavor possible. From popcorn to licorice and from black peppers to canned dog food taste. What to do when you get a snot flavored jelly bean? You can either spit it out and let that bad experience keeping you from continuing on your happy journey or you can grit your teeth, swallow and trust that the next one will taste better.
 
Past week I was in Lisbon, Portugal and unfortunately I got an earwax flavored bean experience. My first reaction was to throw my hands up in the air with frustration. With that nasty lingering earwax taste in my mouth I walked around Lisbon. Lisbon is an old city full of beautiful historical places to see, good shopping and great food. I've been to Lisbon many times and have seen many of its tourist attractions. I never get tired of site seeing so I decided not to dwell on my situation, do some more exploring and went to the Lisbon aquarium. My frustrations completely washed away while watching the penguins spending their time washing, swimming and sunbathing. By looking at the peaceful way the fish swam around and observing their behavior it made me feel small. We live on a planet with so many beautiful creatures. I am simply one of earth’s many creations. Why should I dwell on frustrations, limiting my enjoyment of life and the beautiful things around me?
 
Something that really filled my heart with joy were the two otters at the aquarium. Do you know otters hold hands while sleeping so that they don't drift apart? These small adorable animals look after one and another. They don't give up and fight the strong current to stay together. It's a beautiful example of how to stay strong and don't let frustrations keeping you from enjoying your path. Accept that life comes in all flavors. Sometimes you are bound to get a flavor that makes you want give up. Remember that the next flavor could be surprisingly tasty. After the earwax flavor I have found myself enjoying a
pasteis de Belem flavored jelly bean.

With love, Ana

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