It's Spicy

There is an Amish community close to where I grew up.  They have a grocery store where I buy many of our staples in bulk and most all of my spices come from there as they have good scent and flavor and a great price.  One of the major things I noticed in Singapore while visiting a few different grocery stores is that "western" spices are hard to find and if you do find them they are crazy expensive. 

Yesterday I went to the "Amish Store" and stocked up on spices to take along with us.  As I was there I was thinking to myself "which spice best describes this experience you are going through?"  I have come to the conclusion that cinnamon best describes how I am feeling about our move to Singapore right now.

Why cinnamon?  Well think about it, cinnamon can be very mysterious, when it is used in chili for example, it is there but you can't quite put your finger on what that flavor is.  There are certainly things about this move that are very mysterious.  We are moving to the land of the unknown, a land where things are not hidden but yet they are waiting to be discovered.

Cinnamon can also be hot and spicy, sweet and savory all at the same time.  I am thinking of a red hot cinnamon ball, at first I just want to spew it out of my mouth as it is burning my tongue but the more it lingers the more I like it, the sweeter it becomes.  I have had some very spicy moments during the prep for this move in fact I have cried more in the last three months than I have in the last 15 years!  Why?  Well I am a woman for one and we have emotions and sometimes those emotions just become too much to hold inside.  We are facing a separation from all we know, both people and things.  I know that my husband still will have to travel once we are there leaving the boys and I in this foreign land and I can't just get up and go to my parents for a visit or my grandparents.  These are the thing I want to spew out of our move.

 On the other hand as I linger in the reality of our move it is sweet and savory too.  What an opportunity for our family!  God has already laid in our path two families, the Goetz and the Lee family who have gone above and beyond to make us feel comfortable with our move, they have been amazing with answering questions and offering much welcomed advice.  We are really looking forward to developing relationships with them.   These are the things I savor about our move.

Cinnamon can also be front and center and really enhance the flavor of a dish, for example french toast, french toast just is not the same with out cinnamon.  I do really think this move of 2 years is going to enhance the flavors of our lives and grow our family closer together.  As we go through all the emotions and all the practical steps to get ready for our move I am just going to choose to think of cinnamon and how it really adds a dash of fun to my coffee in the morning.