A good spoon can relieve a heavy heart.

I miss Senegalese peanuts; I miss eating them boiled with my Senegalese family, I miss cracking hundreds of them to be used for cooking in traditional lunch dishes, I miss buying roasted ones from the lady on the street corner across from my school who always talked to me in Wolof, and I miss eating raw peanuts while passing the time away drinking tea and playing cards with loved ones. Basically, I crave Senegalese peanuts everyday. Yes, I realize it is silly to allow myself to feel strongly upset at the lack of peanuts in my life considering I obviously cannot have them at this point in time and obviously I do not need them to survive. However, I think that the environment of me peanut eating is a large factor to the emptiness I sometimes experience. Thus, in attempt to accept this at times dreadful situation I have created an alternative routine. I go over to Hilda and Katie's apartment to subdue my craving. I walk through the door saying hello as I head straight to the silverware draw to grab a spoon. I proceed to walk over to the food shelf where I grab the tub of mixed nuts Hilda faithfully creates thanks to the bountifulness of Roth's bulk section. I then walk over to the counter where I drop my belongings on the floor next to my feet and then lean against that black speckled counter as I begin to munch away on spoonfuls of the salty goodness of a homemade nut and berry mix while I inquire about the lovely ladies' days.

I believe it is important to counter negative aspects in life with positive aspects. Though there may not be a positive counter part or an equivalent solution to the heavy problems, stresses, sadnesses or whatever it is plaguing our hearts, when we cannot simply overlook these items in a moments effort something needs to be done. In the context of our own lives, our own grand, little pieces in this vast world, providing ourselves as well as others with positive alternatives to sadness and heaviness can provide a cheerier day. I say this because as I continue to struggle my way through re-orienting into America, I have found that the little moments I cherish are what keep me dancing through the winding transitions of life whether or not these moments be little brother's 2nd birthday parties, skype dates, Mascarade parties, late night walks, reading old letters, exploring music, or... eating mixed nuts and berries with a spoon.