My Favorite Things

When the dog bites

When the bee stings

When I'm feeling sad

I simply remember my favorite things

And then I don't feel so bad

~Sound of Music

Here is the deal. I love Sound of Music.  It is probably one of my favorite movies of all times.  It the movie I watch when I am bored, need some cheering up or just need some general background noise.  One of the things I love about the movie is the music and one of my favorite songs is “Favorite Things.”

Now, so far there have been no dog bites or bee stings, but there have definitely been some challenging moments of being a YAGM.  I have shared some of those challenges, and some of them I am still working on processing.  Sometimes it all seems incredibly overwhelming.

As cliché as it may seem, in those moments, sometimes it really does help to take some time to reflect on the things that I love about being here.   While Maria’s favorite things maybe raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, are a good place to start, there are a lot more things that I love about being a YAGM, specifically a YAGM in Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Here are a few of my favorite things:

Seeing rainbows every time it rains    

Sitting on these stairs in the sun with my Nook and reading

Watching shepherd’s herd sheep on the streets of town

The things that I have gotten to do and see this year that I never ever dreamed I would do-
like snorkeling in the Red Sea

The adorable kindergartners who I get to hang out with everyday

Three words: Exploding birthday candles

The amazing food and learning how to cook some of it with cooking lessons from our host mom  

The joy and laughter that fill the teacher’s lounger every morning and through out the day. 

Getting to celebrate Christmas in the place where Christmas started

Saying that I live halfway between “Away in the Manager”...    

...and “Shepherd’s quaking at the sight”

Getting to call a place home that most people will only visit for a day or two. 

Having created a family here and
having several people who have adopted me as a sister or daughter.      

Walking passed this donkey grazing in the field every day on my way home from school    

Being a part of a community that includes both
YAGM alums and current YAGMs and soon will include the new YAGMs

Sights that despite continuing to amaze me,
are a “normal” part of my “normal” life here    

Having an olive tree, lemon tree...

...almond tree in my backyard.
(by the way did you know that almonds are green and fuzzy…)    

In the rocky and hard places there is a beautiful growth