Thoughts from the Pearl District

After work on Tuesday I drove the 15 minutes to downtown Portland and met up with Dan in the neighborhood referred to by locals as "The Pearl District." The Pearl is about 3-4 blocks wide, 20 blocks long, and is home to some of the cutest, quaintest shops and restaurants in the city. It is a favorite place of ours; we are known to steal away there occasionally on Saturday mornings, very early, for a scrumptious breakfast of Belgian waffles at the Cameo--a delightful little cafe with seemingly innumerable floors and windows. I don't know if it's the food we like so much as the whimsy; the cafe occupies an odd-shaped building that appears to have sprouted rooms, porches and gables in every direction.

The idea of going to the Pearl was mine; it had been a beautiful day--not too hot, but sunny--and the weather forecast promised a warm, clear evening. I told Dan I wanted to sit outside one of the multitudinous coffee shops (this is the Northwest, after all) and enjoy the cool night air. I also secretly wanted a much-needed break from studying. ;)

We had dinner at one of our favorite little pasta places and then set off to wander 23rd Street, ducking into markets, buying ourselves really fattening cookies and making fun of silly artwork together. :) When it was dark we found a table outside a coffee shop and settled down with our lattes to watch pedestrians meander along the twinkle-lit tree-lined avenue. In that moment, I felt very blessed. God has given me so much: my husband, family, friends, health, job, cozy little home. And yet it is so easy to focus on what I don't have. I wonder why that is. Is it simply because it is human nature to be dissatisfied? Or perhaps there is a deeper reason--perhaps it is because we crave contentment and fulfillment so much we focus on the things we think will finally bring them. Either way, it's a temptation I fall into far too often and I'm thankful for moments like this past Tuesday that make me remember how much I've been given.