sharing bread

This morning I awoke at 5:20 to the monks chanting. I wasn’t planning to exercise, but since I was awake anyway, I figured I would. I didn’t feel like running, so I decided to go for a bike ride. The idea to buy some bread from a street seller also occurred to me, which made it even more tempting to get out of bed! I tucked some money in my pocket and set out around 6am. Cambodia is great because even seemingly out in the middle of nowhere at this early hour, there are many other people out, too. Children are walking to school. People are cooking rice. Smells of food grilling fill the air. I didn’t know where the bread seller would be, but I rode until I found one. I bought two loaves, without really thinking about it. I rode home, and as I passed some kids playing in the road, wondered if they had eaten breakfast. I kept riding, having already passed them, but decided that I should share my bread. When I got back, I put my bike inside the gate and came out to say hi to the neighbors. Only two of them were out, but I had met all of them just a few days before and wanted to say hi. One woman was sitting on a bed with her little baby girl, and asked me to sit down. I asked her if she liked bread, and said I wanted her to have some. I have two, I only need one... She thanked me, and we chatted a bit. Did you exercise? Yes. Usually I like to run, but today I rode bike instead. Now I am very hot… On we chatted, until soon, the whole family (and whoever else was around) came over to sit by us. One man asked me my name. One of the other women chimed in. She remembered my name from when I met her a few days ago. I was so impressed! She let me hold her baby. She is seven months old, she told me- and beautiful and smelled like baby powder. She smiled at me, too. It was such a great morning, chatting with these warm people. It wasn’t even the conversation (it was quite broken ;) as much as the idea that I could pause to chat with neighbors, be invited ‘inside’ and be asked to sit down and welcomed all before 7am. Thanks God- You blessed me this morning. I may have to get some more bread to share tomorrow.