My grandmother lived through the Japanese Occupation. During that time, life was difficult and food was scarce. What is taken for granted today, such as meat products, were a luxury in those times of trials. To subsist, my grandmother relied on the lowly sweet potatoes and tapiocas. It is not much, but it could keep the hunger pangs away for another couple of hours. Come lunch or dinner, she is greeted with the same source of nourishment.
From a third-person perspective, these situations evoked a reflective response in me. First, there is a sense of gratitude and thankfulness for what I currently have. I have never experienced a situation similar to what my grandmother experienced and I sincerely hope I never will! When was the last time my breakfast-lunch-dinner were sweet potatoes and tapiocas? Uh....never? Similarly, when was the last time I had plain rice with gravy (or curry) ......