Just look up

I didn’t have the best day today.  Nothing tragic happened, I just had moderate annoyances sprinkled throughout the day (from waking up with shin pain; to getting caught in pouring rain – twice; to feeling indecisive about totally dinky and unimportant things; to feeling way too self-absorbed and whiny when I really have absolutely nothing to complain about in my ridiculously blessed life….).  Ugh.  Sigh.

But whatev.  As each twinge, drop, feeling, and thought came, I honestly acknowledged them, then gently set them aside.  I engaged in this gentle dance with my internal life, over, and over, and over again.  See, acknowledge, release, repeat.

By mid-morning, I wasn’t feeling frustrated or hostile by this repetitive exercise so much as I was feeling…. disappointed.  Disappointed that the perpetual stream of automatic thoughts haven’t ceased.  Disappointed that I have to work at relaxing.  Disappointed that I’m not yet ‘enlightened’, that I’m still oh-so-human.

But today there were tasks that needed to be done, so I went about completing them.  I wrote the grocery list, drove to the store, picked up the plums and the broccoli…and it was there, in the middle of the store, feeling achy, soggy, and foggy, that I saw this:

A lovely overt reminder that joy really is all around – if I’m willing to look up to see it.

Thanks universe, I appreciate this.  Particularly today.  🙂

Stef