Daily Practice

Twice daily, usually when I wake up and when I go to bed,

I’ll run a rinse through my mind with the things I am grateful for.

I call it a 'practice’ because it takes just that. Part of being human is being aware that there is always an opportunity to rise above senseless chatter from ego. You know how sneaky it likes to roll in, it's unannounced at best. Within a few slippery seconds, you're nudged to think a better thought...

I stood in line today at the post office for 35 minutes.

Yeah. 35 minutes, right?!

One slick “Dear God!! Shoot me now! This line!!! How loooooong am I to wait?” later, I was on my toes with a new thought. I had an arsenal of Saturday pleasantries up my sleeve…”iced Americano waiting in the car...I was mailing six stones out into the world...I was listening to Nightmares on Wax, which reminds me of San Francisco...It’s forty-five degrees and sunny... There’s a mysterious old dude three people back who looks like he belted out a tune with Neil Young in his day and is full of stories... Next stop up is photographing the edible Ian Osbourne... 

Matt called to say he picked me up a sweet tea from Mocha Dan’s...” And then I heard - - “Hey Amy, how’s it going?” It was one of my favorite post office clerks calling me to the counter. He collect’s rocks and displays them all over his station, which I happen to think is pretty cool. Today he had some new ones (people in the community are always adding to his collection which I also think is pretty cool) and guess what? He gifted me one. Ha-ppppy!! It's a stunner.

I realized in a moment that the universe is always ready to pounce in serendipity and surprise. All we need is to loosen our grip and keep noticing pretty, plenty...