Five Unsolved Puzzles

Mornings are always a puzzle, five puzzles! I get to solve five crosswords in a row—after finishing my 7,000-step walk and before breakfast. I do this from one half to one hour in our veranda while the rising sun rouses the neighborhood.

Every weekday, Tony brings home from his office five dailies (The Phil. Star, Phil. Daily Inquirer, Business world, The Manila Bulletin, and The Manila Times). They all have a crossword puzzle. He attempts to solve all of them between his meetings and work. But that’s about it—he attempts. He has yet to finish one.

The leftover blank boxes—which are many, on good days—are mine. The wrong entries—which are also many and which take some brain twisting to undo—are also mine. Although I find much pleasure in filling up the blank squares, I find much more joy in undoing the wrong answers. More challenging!

What a mundane activity, you might say. Well, as I have experienced, it matters not how mundane or how spectacular an activity is. What counts really is the amount or quality of fun you get from it.

Reflecting upon God’s grace on this blog and my books, the most mundane tasks are often those that allow me to feel the vastness of joy.

I am grateful that I have not turned callous and cynical in my olden years.

On the contrary, I have become less of a perfectionist and now delight in the mundane—such as five unfinished crossword puzzles at sunrise!