Sometime between mindlessly
loading the dishwasher and wiping
the crumb-covered countertops,
I make my way back—
to the hickory floor beneath tired feet,
to the smell of sautéing garlic and onions,
to the soothing sound of end-of-summer
showers. Another season, another day,
slowing slipping away.
I close my eyes and listen
to the song that speaks about
how fast it all goes. And god,
how I want to be here for it. All
of it.
I need a thousand more years,
a thousand more ways to say thank you
for the wonder
of even this one
ordinary moment.
I will make my way back—
to the ground that holds me,
to the something
that stands still and tall inside
my own skin.
I promise to keep making my way back.
by Julia Fehrenbacher
I love how Julia Fehrenbacher captures both the ordinary moment in the kitchen as well as the expansive place of gratitude she’s taken to when pausing for an instant. It really captures the magic of mindfulness in daily life for me, how becoming present in any ordinary moment has the potential of opening the door to the preciousness of life that is so easily overlooked.
And it’s not about never losing that perspective, but about making our way back there again and again. It’s so worth it, for living our one wild and precious life as fully as possible…
PS if you’d like to bring more mindful awareness into your everyday life, there is a course The Wonder of the Everyday, as well as the Mindfulness level 1 – Being Present course to practice this alongside others, online or in person.
Photo by Harry Grout on Unsplash