We have what we call in the family “Ubusan ng Tira” (Finishing Leftover) Days. So as not to waste food, we finish leftovers before cooking a fresh batch of viands. Sometimes, we have a smorgasbord because each viand is not enough for the whole family. So, we each pick a leftover to finish.
This
morning’s leftovers were 2 huge suman latik, arroz caldo just
enough for 1 full serving and several pieces of boiled saba. Since my
niece had eaten some saba and my son opted for a suman, Papa and
I were left with 1 suman and the arroz caldo. I asked Papa which
he preferred: suman and saba or the arroz caldo. He chose
the first option and I put that on his plate. He was contentedly eating his suman
and was already halfway done with it when I began to ladle a little of the arroz
caldo into a bowl. He then asked which is easier to eat. I said they were
both made from glutinous rice so it’s just the same, they were just cooked
differently. Papa has developed this habit of looking beyond his plate because
since he had a stroke, there were some foods we don’t give him. We call it his
“Inggit blues” as he would always ask what it was we were eating.
But
this time, I did ask him which he preferred. Nevertheless, his envy factor
kicked in when he saw me get the arroz caldo. Then he stopped eating his
suman. When I told him to finish it because it will be wasteful if he didn’t, I
knew it was “sintir” when he answered, “Then don’t feed me anymore.” “Sintir”
is a term we have in our hometown Mauban that means being in a snit. He was
like a sulking child but claimed he was not feeling well. He eventually did get
out of his snit when my niece and I called him out for it.
While
I was doing my morning walk around the house, he asked for his walker so he can
do his own rounds thus debunking his “not feeling well” claim. The good thing
was he got himself out of his funk by being grateful. He began reciting his
blessings: many of his friends can no longer walk while he still can, people
younger than him need to be fed whereas he can eat by himself and some other
advantages he has. Of course, my niece and I chimed in with other things he
should be grateful for.
This incident just shows that when we focus on what others have instead of the blessings we already have, we get frustrated. We think others have it better and lose appreciation for what we have been gifted with. But when we refocus on our own blessings, envy will fly out the window.
Gratitude
and Trust. Envy and Frustration are no match for them.
