Day 86: Happy Telugu New Year!

I think we all know that life is a mix of good and bad, bitter and sweet. 

Well, today South India is celebrating Yugadi, the New Year of the Hindu calendar. To celebrate this day Telugu people make this dish called Yugadi Puchhadi... it is a mix of six very different tastes: bitter, sweet, hot, sour, salty and tangy. Each of these things symbolizes something about life...

Neem buds for bitterness= sadness

Jaggery (type of sugar) and fruit pieces for sweetness= happiness

Green chili/pepper for hotness= anger

Salt for saltiness= fear

Tamarind juice for sourness= disgust

Unripened mango for tang= surprise

It tastes like a really strong kind of fruit juice. And flavours pop up all over the place haha It actually tasted really good (well, most of it)!

I was thinking about that idea behind the symbolism. It seems really beautiful to me! Just like the juice, when I look back at the combination of sad, happy, and surprising things in my life it actually seems pretty good. I'm grateful that there is some of everything in there. Because then the sweet is that much sweeter! And bad days remind me that good days will feel even better. "Only know you've been high when you're feeling low" right? Wise words, Passenger. 

I was talking to a friend today about how much Heavenly Father listens to us. We realized that the more you look to see if he hears you, the more you see him in your life.

Growing is painful a lot of the time. But Heavenly Father always leads me to the best place when I listen and ask for his help. 

Happy Yugadi :) Maybe I'll go review my New Year's resolutions now ;)

Stéf