Today's moment...
My son went to bed early today, so I decided to spend the extra time in the evening taking a nice, long bath. Lights off, except one candle. No music. I sat there for what seemed like forever, my thoughts drifting in and out of my mind until there were no thoughts left and my eyelids, then able to relax, slowly began to close. I found myself in that strange, in-between-sleep-and- awake stage where you know you are awake, you can hear what is going on around you, but at the same time you aren't really there. I felt peace....no worries....no tension in my body....nothing, just peace. I opened my eyes after a time and the thoughts came back, only this time they were quieter and kinder. I will have a good night's rest tonight. Thankful.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
Perfect Moments: Chocolate
Today's moment....
After a routine day at home with my son, a little piece of chocolatey heaven to make the end of it sweet. Thank you to my husband who is thoughtful enough and has the foresight to buy me not one, but TWO, big organic, dark chocolate bars to hide away from Isaiah as a special..only for me treat:). Nice.
After a routine day at home with my son, a little piece of chocolatey heaven to make the end of it sweet. Thank you to my husband who is thoughtful enough and has the foresight to buy me not one, but TWO, big organic, dark chocolate bars to hide away from Isaiah as a special..only for me treat:). Nice.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Perfect Moments: catch 22
Today's moment moved like a snail...in slow motion
Today I was in a crowded place, filled with noise. Babies were crying, music was playing, people were laughing. Everything around me was in fast motion. Suddenly, everything slowed down and I was able to see each individual person separate from the others. I studied them all carefully and was able to catch a brief glimpse into each person's story---who they were, why they were there, what kind of life they had lived, what kind of life they might live in the future. It was a very surreal, vivid moment.
Even though it happened in a split second, I thought about it most of the rest of my day---what people were wearing, their features, the way they walked. Each person, innumerably different from the other, yet underneath it all, there are these common threads that keep the stitches of the fabric of humanity intact. Although it, for certain, happens in varying degrees and circumstances, every single person that passed me today has at one point experienced loss, kindness, cruelty, hope, hopelessness, elation, excitement, and a myriad of other states of being and emotions. It was in thinking on this when I felt like I had been given a great gift--the ability to see that there is not one of us that can say, "I am special." Because we all are...but that, in turn, means that we also are not. It is a catch 22. The greatest potential for peace lies in our ability to acknowledge and appreciate our differences while we increase our awareness of and reflection on our "sameness".
Today I was in a crowded place, filled with noise. Babies were crying, music was playing, people were laughing. Everything around me was in fast motion. Suddenly, everything slowed down and I was able to see each individual person separate from the others. I studied them all carefully and was able to catch a brief glimpse into each person's story---who they were, why they were there, what kind of life they had lived, what kind of life they might live in the future. It was a very surreal, vivid moment.
Even though it happened in a split second, I thought about it most of the rest of my day---what people were wearing, their features, the way they walked. Each person, innumerably different from the other, yet underneath it all, there are these common threads that keep the stitches of the fabric of humanity intact. Although it, for certain, happens in varying degrees and circumstances, every single person that passed me today has at one point experienced loss, kindness, cruelty, hope, hopelessness, elation, excitement, and a myriad of other states of being and emotions. It was in thinking on this when I felt like I had been given a great gift--the ability to see that there is not one of us that can say, "I am special." Because we all are...but that, in turn, means that we also are not. It is a catch 22. The greatest potential for peace lies in our ability to acknowledge and appreciate our differences while we increase our awareness of and reflection on our "sameness".
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Perfect Moments: Deep Conversation with a 3 year old
Today's moment....
My son and I were eating dinner at the table when I was telling him about things I used to do when I was little. Then, he asked me if he was there and I told him no...that he didn't even exist at that time. He paused for a moment, then said, "Oh, so I was in your belly huh?" And I tried to explain to him again that he was not around at all when I was little. He looked at me with a crazy look and threw up his hands. "Well, then where the heck was I?," he asked. He had this baffled look on his face like he could not understand how there was a time when he didn't exist. Then, I could see the wheels turning. He continued, "How did I get here?" I could tell he wasn't looking for a birds and bees explanation, he was asking in a more philosophical tone of voice. He wondered how could something ever not exist.
Instead of answering right away and giving him my assumptions on the topic, I let him sit for a while and sort it out in his head. He came up with a few hypotheses. 1) Maybe mommy and daddy said, "abra cadabra" and used magic to make him appear 2) Maybe he existed in space somewhere before he was born 3) Maybe he was inside some food and he came out like a seed 4) Maybe he was an alien before and now he was a boy.
After he gave some of his own thoughts on the subject, I gave him a few ideas of what other answers other people have come up with in the past (e.g. the big bang theory, creationism, evolution, via actions taken by various gods). I didn't want to tell him one was right and the others wrong. I did not want to give him the assumptions/ideas I have come up with over time. I just wanted him to get an idea of what was out there so that he could compare them to his own ideas and have something to think on. He listened and then, after a short time, he put his foot up in the air and said...."Mom, look at my stinky feet!" It made me laugh. Although I am glad to see my son is getting old and wise enough to think about the BIG questions, I am glad he can still, simply, be a silly kid.
My son and I were eating dinner at the table when I was telling him about things I used to do when I was little. Then, he asked me if he was there and I told him no...that he didn't even exist at that time. He paused for a moment, then said, "Oh, so I was in your belly huh?" And I tried to explain to him again that he was not around at all when I was little. He looked at me with a crazy look and threw up his hands. "Well, then where the heck was I?," he asked. He had this baffled look on his face like he could not understand how there was a time when he didn't exist. Then, I could see the wheels turning. He continued, "How did I get here?" I could tell he wasn't looking for a birds and bees explanation, he was asking in a more philosophical tone of voice. He wondered how could something ever not exist.
Instead of answering right away and giving him my assumptions on the topic, I let him sit for a while and sort it out in his head. He came up with a few hypotheses. 1) Maybe mommy and daddy said, "abra cadabra" and used magic to make him appear 2) Maybe he existed in space somewhere before he was born 3) Maybe he was inside some food and he came out like a seed 4) Maybe he was an alien before and now he was a boy.
After he gave some of his own thoughts on the subject, I gave him a few ideas of what other answers other people have come up with in the past (e.g. the big bang theory, creationism, evolution, via actions taken by various gods). I didn't want to tell him one was right and the others wrong. I did not want to give him the assumptions/ideas I have come up with over time. I just wanted him to get an idea of what was out there so that he could compare them to his own ideas and have something to think on. He listened and then, after a short time, he put his foot up in the air and said...."Mom, look at my stinky feet!" It made me laugh. Although I am glad to see my son is getting old and wise enough to think about the BIG questions, I am glad he can still, simply, be a silly kid.
Perfect Moments: The Goal
Today's moment....
I set out on what seemed like an impossible mission with my son today. The odds of us achieving our goal were pretty high, but I was DETERMINED to make it happen. So much so that I told my son that we were not going to give up on our goal until it was reached. With our minds set, we made our first attempt and were shut down immediately. We tried again and, again, were shot down. My son gave me a look that said, "Mom, it's ok, let's try another day", and it was tempting for me to take that as a way out. But, I couldn't do it. I had told him that we were not going home without having met our goal and if I didn't take it seriously on such a simple thing, I feared it would send a message to my son that he might apply to other, grown-up, goals later on. So, what started out as a fun adventure, suddenly became a "teachable moment" about sticking to your guns despite the odds and not losing hope. And so, with our hope, we went and gave it another shot and this time we were successful! After reflecting on what had happened, my son looked up and, with his big smile, said, "We did it, mom! Mission accomplished!" Now, if I told you what the goal was, you might think it was silly or not a big deal, but to my son, it was a big deal, so it doesn't really matter what it was. What does matter is that my son understands that goals should not be given up on even after failed attempts. Also, it made me think about how many other goals I have on MY list that I have yet to apply such unwavering determination to and it made me want to do so immediately, in order that my son might see that his mommy does what she says and will be inspired to do the same.
I set out on what seemed like an impossible mission with my son today. The odds of us achieving our goal were pretty high, but I was DETERMINED to make it happen. So much so that I told my son that we were not going to give up on our goal until it was reached. With our minds set, we made our first attempt and were shut down immediately. We tried again and, again, were shot down. My son gave me a look that said, "Mom, it's ok, let's try another day", and it was tempting for me to take that as a way out. But, I couldn't do it. I had told him that we were not going home without having met our goal and if I didn't take it seriously on such a simple thing, I feared it would send a message to my son that he might apply to other, grown-up, goals later on. So, what started out as a fun adventure, suddenly became a "teachable moment" about sticking to your guns despite the odds and not losing hope. And so, with our hope, we went and gave it another shot and this time we were successful! After reflecting on what had happened, my son looked up and, with his big smile, said, "We did it, mom! Mission accomplished!" Now, if I told you what the goal was, you might think it was silly or not a big deal, but to my son, it was a big deal, so it doesn't really matter what it was. What does matter is that my son understands that goals should not be given up on even after failed attempts. Also, it made me think about how many other goals I have on MY list that I have yet to apply such unwavering determination to and it made me want to do so immediately, in order that my son might see that his mommy does what she says and will be inspired to do the same.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Perfect Moments: My Bed
Today's moment....
After a loooong day of traveling (and a VERY bumpy flight), we finally arrived at our home. I dropped my bags, took a shower to get that air-travel-skin scrubbed off, and plopped down face first onto my bed. There's something about being gone for a while and then reuniting with your own bed! It is the ONLY one that has a corresponding indentation for every part of your body so that it holds you in just the right way:). What a feeling! Although I enjoyed our trip, I am so glad to be back and to be so fortunate as to have a comfortable place to get a good night's sleep:)
After a loooong day of traveling (and a VERY bumpy flight), we finally arrived at our home. I dropped my bags, took a shower to get that air-travel-skin scrubbed off, and plopped down face first onto my bed. There's something about being gone for a while and then reuniting with your own bed! It is the ONLY one that has a corresponding indentation for every part of your body so that it holds you in just the right way:). What a feeling! Although I enjoyed our trip, I am so glad to be back and to be so fortunate as to have a comfortable place to get a good night's sleep:)
Monday, May 23, 2011
Perfect Moments: Cafe du Monde
Today's moment.....
My husband made my day when he came back to our hotel from a walk holding a bag FULL of beignets and an ice cold chicory coffee drink. It is not only a tradition, but a MUST DO, when we come to New Orleans. If I could eat a bag of beignets everyday, buried under a mountain of powdered sugar, without it hurting my health and waistline...I WOULD!!! As they say, why do the things that are so bad for you, taste so darn good?! When we get back to Cali tomorrow, I'm going to have to answer for all my glutonous, "I'm on vacation", sins. But, did not worry about that today...today, I ate to my heart's content.
My husband made my day when he came back to our hotel from a walk holding a bag FULL of beignets and an ice cold chicory coffee drink. It is not only a tradition, but a MUST DO, when we come to New Orleans. If I could eat a bag of beignets everyday, buried under a mountain of powdered sugar, without it hurting my health and waistline...I WOULD!!! As they say, why do the things that are so bad for you, taste so darn good?! When we get back to Cali tomorrow, I'm going to have to answer for all my glutonous, "I'm on vacation", sins. But, did not worry about that today...today, I ate to my heart's content.
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