Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday in the U.S. and I miss it terribly. But no matter where I am, I can be thankful. I keep a positive journal where I record the good days and moments in my life. This year I noticed that my journal filled up much faster, which means I am able to see more good in my life. Looking back in 2026, my third year here, I felt so much gratitude often. I am learning to savor these precious moments and I would like to share some highlights with you. Of course, I will start with the most recent ones because those are more vivid to recall the details.
In late October, after talking on the phone with a good friend who came to visit her sick mom in Taiwan, I quickly decided to go up to Taipei to visit the next morning. I don't usually do this, but inside I knew things sounded quite grim .....and I wanted to be there to support my friend. Besides, her mom was so kind to all of us when we were teenagers, always welcoming us to her home at the time and cooked us wonderful food. I still remember her vividly. Now that she fell sick while living in Taiwan, I felt like I needed to see her. So I went for three days, just hanging out, helping my friend and being there for her. I came home after, and three days later she passed away. It was unexpectedly fast, but peaceful. Then I struggled with the decision of whether to attend the funeral or not. Again I decided to go for 3 days, funerals are important to me, much more than weddings. This time, my friend's siblings were all there from the US. I was so excited to see them again. These are people I grew up with in my youth group that I've not seen for 10+ years. Though they came for a sad event, it was such a joy to see them and reconnect with old friends. I felt like I was reliving the past of my youth group days, except we are all old. What a joy! Some of my best buddies are people I met from my college days or before. Life was so simple then. We had no agenda, and they didn't need anything from me except we just like hanging out together. They are not deal friends, they are real friends. It sure was an unexpected blessing to reunite with them again here in Taiwan. So strange yet so familiar. We stayed up catching up and had some good laughs together. Good times....I am thankful for making it to the funeral and reconnecting with old friends.
My cousins came for a visit in Oct and we took a trip to Kenting for a few days. This was our second time going there and this time we didn't have a lot planned. All they wanted was to dip in the ocean so we stayed near the beach with ocean-view rooms. What I enjoyed the most about those days was getting up early when the sun just came up, and walking at the beach when no one was around. I walked barefooted on the sandy beach, sometimes waves lapping at my feet, listening to the sounds of the ocean, feeling the breeze and smelling the salty sea air and vegetation around it, looking far into the horizon in the morning light. This was so special because usually in the city I wake up to traffic sounds and views of tall buildings outside of my window, and smelling second hand smoke, sometimes hearing neighbors arguing loudly. I am still grateful for a place to stay and being conveniently located in the city. What a wonderful change of scenery during the week by the beach!! I intentionally savored these early morning walks at the beach and distinctly etched that memory into my brain since it is such a special treat. I am thankful for the early morning nature walks at the beach.
In Sept, I had a swollen ankle for some reason, and I thought it was a sprain, but after two weeks, I finally went to the doctor, and he said I tore a ligament and he said it will take some time to get better. So for the first time, I went to the Taiwan PT. It was more like spa because they just do ultrasounds, heat and electrical treatments while I sat and read a book. I thought I was going need to do some painful stuff but surprisingly I didn't at all. I am a very impatient person so after a couple weeks with no improvement, I was disappointed. The doctor said it generally takes 3 months!!! That's an eternity to be walking like a 80 year old. So he was right. I am learning to be patient and rest, and live life on the slow lane. But God is gracious because when my daughter came for a short visit, I was able to walk better than before. When my cousins came, I can walk pretty well by that time though it's still a bit swollen. After that, I realize what a gift walking is. I am thankful for being able to recover and the ability to walk.
I don't know if I wrote about this, but I joined Toastmasters speech class last year, so this Sept it will be a full year there. Oh boy, every other week, I regretted joining it and wanted to quit. It's on a Sunday night, which happens to be the busiest day of the week for me. I am also extremely introverted and prefer people not paying any attention to me. Standing up there is very, very uncomfortable. Whenever it was my turn and I had to give a speech, I wanted to crawl under the table. I joined this particular branch because they are bilingual. So I don't have to always give speeches in Chinese, sometimes for the impromptu speeches, I can speak English. We are learning from each other. I also like to make some home-made snacks to share with them and my snacks are very welcomed. It turned out that this group of people are the most fun, interesting, and kind people. Surprisingly, sometimes I win awards (every meeting we vote for the best roles). Though the awards are just a piece of paper with my name on it and a picture to go with it, it's nevertheless a huge encouragement for someone who is trying hard to learn a language. Soon, I am no longer so nervous going to class, especially when it isn't my turn for a speech, I do like performing the other roles in the group. I am definitely stretched, but happy to make some new friends. I am thankful for my Toastmaster class and new friends.
Other areas I am thankful are as follows:
Ted has enjoyed fairly good health this year and all my kids are doing well in their lives.
Seeing fruits from my Taiwan CR ministry, Sunday school, interpretation and Rainbow story-telling ministry. Praise be to God. He is definitely at work.
I am getting more acclimated to my new life in Taiwan and especially loving the variety of vegetables and fruits and finding a new sense of calling here.
God provides for us financially and we are still able to get buy without working. Having time to do what I want is such a privilege and I feel extremely grateful to God all the time for this. I think if I were to still be living in the US, I'd have to keep working to pay all the bills, especially health insurance. I remember how much it is and how hard it was to get an appointment with the doctor. Taiwan healthcare system is the best and so convenient and fast. Not owning a car really reduce our cost of living as well. It's a different world, but because of the lower cost of living, I get to to own back my time. I am grateful not having to work for money.
In our small little apartment, I have everything I needed. It is feeling a lot more comfortable in my new ways of simple living. Though I have much more stuff before I moved here, I am finding contentment in having less and I don't miss the excess material goods. I think what I lack in the stuff, I gained in time and experiences. I'm thankful to learn the lesson in simplicity.
Well, Happy Thanksgiving, my friends.
May your table be surrounded by loved ones and your hearts full of gratitude this Thanksgiving. Sending love your way.
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