Gratitude for the empty nest, eddoe leaf bhaji and lost causes

A strange few days and wondering if the strangeness was not made more strange by the mental health management - trying to seek nice positive things and move away from negative things... and remembering gratitude.

Gratitude for the empty bird nest.. another set of eggs laid, birds hatched and they have gone away. I feel as though my part was done well  and while nature say that the birds could be eaten.. well..

Gratitude for the whims which were born out of some risk.. like cooking the eddoe leaf bhaji with ginger and other things.. and then having it praised by an unexpected teenage guest - I know other teenagers are finicky. Gratitude for the whim to go and talk about one of the lost causes in Guyana, free and open source software in the public service   lost causes are often a reason for living..

Gratitude for answering the late night phone call while dozing. A loved one. Gratitude that I was able to have a civil conversation while sleepy even as I wondered about the futility of it all.. but lost causes are my specialty.

Gratitude for the fluffy sada roti and for realising that I have to ask my mother's intervention. Some things mother's do best regardless of what.

Gratitude for the connections with former students - in different ways.. one organising a sexual harassment prevention policy in his workplace. the other who realised his dreams and is not far from where he came from.

Gratitude for getting up even though I did not feel like getting up. Gratitude for the air conditioning in the cinema and for the means and resources to sit through two films. Gratitude for the patience to hear a pandit talk stupidness but knowing that karma works.

Gratitude for the work all the time and for not despairing about the things I could or should have been doing .