I have been in a state of bliss organizing, sorting, and decorating! At the end of the week, a large orange truck holding our shipping crate arrived. I excitedly carried the baby downstairs to verify our belongings and escort the movers up to our apartment. They worked for the next few hours unloading, unboxing, assembling furniture, and breaking down boxes. The school was very excited by their new surplus of cardboard! It feels comforting to have the first half of our possessions back with us. What was even sweeter than my own delight was our daughter coming home from school and running around the discombobulated playroom yelling, “my toys, they’re alive!”
My poor phone has made a valiant effort here in Dhaka. After continuous malfunctions, it is time for an upgrade. A timely visit from one of our friends to Thailand allowed me to order a new phone. I am happily enjoying a working phone now!
I went to another vendor fair. This time I bought beautiful baskets, woven trays, and a wooden rickshaw. I also got a woven rug in the shape of a bear for the nursery. I left with the assistance of two other people helping me into my car! Handmade treasures that would be fairly expensive in America are affordable here and come with the opportunity of meeting the artist.
This week a newer friend of mine took me into the shopping district. We entered a mall with circular corridors. Each loop contained ten or so small shops filled with shelves of folded fabric and racks of hanging clothes. I bought for myself the gown I plan to wear to the upcoming Marine Ball, an embroidered silk shirt that I will have tailored into a duster, and a three-piece floral set. The same friend introduced me to her tailor, and he is hard at work tailoring these pieces and several more custom linen skirts and dresses. My plan to have a Sari made is still in the works, but likely won’t be created in time for the ball.
I have been reflecting on my relationship with my possessions. The material comforts of this week are in themselves, a gift from God. I especially love having the pictures of my mom back, the frames of her handwriting, and a letter she wrote me. Having things is nice; there is no getting around that. Meals taste better on our own dishes and cutlery. However, the material good, when properly enjoyed, points to an immaterial greater good. The generosity of God. An unparalleled generosity that has been particularly felt this week. It lives in the presence of my mom that I feel around me, the excitement of my daughter being reunited with her toys, the friend who went to the Apple Store in Thailand for me, the two people who loaded my purchases into the car, the artist who wove the baskets, and my new friend who took me shopping. Each immaterial gift is far more valuable than any material gift that I could wish to buy or ship here.
