My friend Bill wrote a great blog this week entitled "There are no ordinary moments." More than simply carpe diem, it was about embracing the everyday mundane moments that go by unnoticed and unrecognized. Not just taking things for granted, but not being open to the possibility that tedious, everyday tasks can be full of joy. Taking this to heart, I started my Saturday morning waiting for joy.
It didn't come with 6 am discovery of an unflushed toilet, but the sound of the tea kettle about to hiss and the smell of jasmine green tea was lovely. I giggled with strangers as we stretched with a new coach who had an aerobic routine unlike anything we had ever done. I ran with a new friend who came up with something to talk about each mile. A red fox crossed our path and we stopped to ooh and ahh. I noted the blue powerade craig made was the perfect concoction (hard to do in those huge barrels). On the way home I saw graffiti that said "neat." Wow! It hit me. Life is neat. I thought of Bill and his blog.
Then on the drive to breakfast with Carolyn I heard the song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEMyZQofUsc This is what played when we danced with Kate after the Disney marathon...big group hug..joy, joy, joy. I think I will remember that intense feeling every time I hear the song.
So the weekend continued with seeing joy. A squeeze of my hand, a magazine in the mail, a warm bath, a soft towel, fresh asparagus. On Sunday we bowled with friends and then went to the honored hero party for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. It was not dificult to see joy when a throng of people who are struggling with blood cancer stands up before you to thank you. Or when your son lets someone win at air hockey "just this time, until she feels better."
The photo is of a stand of trees in Lullwater park. I stood under them as they knocked together in the wind. Like big wind chimes, only natural. neat.
