Curious about the term, my friend used to call me her mentor. I looked it up in the dictionary even though I knew what it meant. It was surprising that someone older than me would use it for me. When we met again, I thanked her for the compliment but admitted feeling unsure about being exceptional. She reassured me with a gentle smile, saying “That’s just your human nature.”
My three main strengths include Christianity, being thrifty, and being a skilled cook. Firstly, my primary strength lies in my commitment to Christianity. Attending church and engaging in fellowship are of utmost importance to me. The social gatherings with friends and fellow church members hold a special place in my heart. Additionally, I invest a significant amount of time into the senior mission and serve as a matron for the drill team. Since there is always a need for volunteers in various activities within the church, including children’s and adult ministries, I actively engage in volunteering across multiple areas.
Growing up in a big household has contributed to my second greatest strength – being thrifty. I am thankful for this trait as it prevents me from making unnecessary purchases, such as accumulating fifty pairs of high-heeled shoes or owning a hat for every suit. In today’s era, I observe a lot of wastefulness, but thankfully my thrifty habits have greatly benefited me during retirement. Furthermore, developing the skill of being a good cook has taken many years and is my third greatest strength.
As a newlywed, I would frequently seek cooking advice from my mother. She would provide me with a list of ingredients, but I struggled to comprehend the specific measurements she utilized. Instead of utilizing conventional measurements like cups or spoons, she employed terms such as pinch, handful, or dash. It took numerous meals before she clarified the meaning behind these measurements. For instance, seasoning a stew based on personal preference or incorporating just enough flour to bind the ingredients in a meatloaf.
Through these experiences, I acquired knowledge about the significance of being a Christian, being frugal, and being proficient as a cook. These attributes simplified both my life and livelihood.
Living a Christian life fills me with profound gratitude towards God for my lifestyle. Embracing thriftiness enables a more affordable and less stressful retirement, while my culinary expertise brings my family together during social gatherings at home. The delight I experience in preparing dishes like stews, meatloafs, and sweet potato pies lies in their representation of the food they were raised on but may not have the ability or desire to make themselves. Although as young adults in the twenty-first century, it is common for them to rely on fast food such as hamburgers and pizzas. It gives me immense satisfaction to live the life I always dreamed of and planned for—the life that once seemed like an impossible reality. Living according to God’s plan has placed me exactly where I always yearned to be.
