Dawn and a New Day

The rare, for me, pleasure of being out to witness the start of a new day.!

A Moment in Time

Grey, wind and rain.  Yet I ventured out, the lure of farm-fresh produce at the weekly outdoor green market irresistible.  Admittedly nudging me out the door as well was the plastic bag in the kitchen, filled to the brim with over-ripening veggie and fruit scraps clearly ready for the compost project at the far end of the market.

Fully aware of the slim possibility of finding parking, I still took the car out of its rare spot in front of my building, relying on the benevolence of the parking gods there and back.  Circling the packed streets only twice, I was relieved to see a space halfway up the road which winds up the hill through the park surrounding the market.  Although it meant a long walk, the dark green leafy trees, dripping with the intermittent rain, made me smile and stop.  Two smooth maneuvers later, settled in to my satisfaction and getting a thumbs-up from two women trekking up the hill, I turned off the motor and climbed out of the car onto the sidewalk.  Damp fragrant tree branches arched overhead, rustled by a gentle cool breeze. Next to me, framed by benches and a low rough stone wall, the park, here a generous patch of forest and dirt paths, stretched away to the distant shore of the Hudson River.

Breathing deeply of the smell of damp earth erased years and took me back to summers in the woods of Massachusetts, away from the cement and bustle of the city to the hopefulness of a young spirit out in the open.  Infused with that expectation of wonders to come, I felt moved to tears in gratitude for the reminder and for the continuing possibilities of the present.  With another deep breath, I put up my huge sky-blue umbrella, feeling like a kid again under its shelter, and made my way down to the busyness and bounty waiting below.

Gratitude

I stand in awe of this extraordinary body
   God created and gave me:
of all its marvelous inner workings and abilities,
  enabling me to take in all that is around me,
    rich sights, endless colors, myriad shapes,
    movement, odors, temperatures, textures;
of its power to heal itself;
of its outward manifestations,
  presenting to the world my being,
  my expressions,
  my thoughts.

As is my duty, my privilege, and my joy,
I vow to be a caring, responsible caretaker of this body,
   my body,
to feed it properly,
to give it movement,
and rest,
and all the love and attention and devotion it deserves
  as a precious treasure,
me.

Summer dreaming

Picture me
   by the sea,
Out in the air, 
   my skin so bare,
Sun and breeze,
   at my ease, 
Strolling
   so happily!

Today's Smile!

I was sitting in the next room, watching TV, when my 6-pound Morky, Pixie, started barking demandingly from the bedroom.  I looked over and saw her standing at the foot of our queen-sized bed, otherwise known as her playground, looking at me intently and continuing to call me with her loud barking.  “You can come here, Pixie, “ I said encouragingly.  “Come on.”  Instead, she disappeared from my sight, raced to her toy box at the top of the bed, grabbed her favorite chew toy, and raced back into my sight at the foot of the bed.  She tossed the bone into the air, caught it and then looked at me brightly to let me know that she expected me to get up and come play with her.  Astonished, I did just that. Tossing her bone back to her, all I could say was, "How funny are you!"

Kindness Resolve

Helping someone to cross the street, feeding a hungry person, rescuing a stray animal, most of us are moved to lend a hand when we see a need.  However, the most fundamental kindness, I believe, lies in how we treat ourselves.  We spend so much time and effort beating ourselves up for what we have not done, for the mistakes we've made, for the dreams and goals we've let go by.  It's exhausting and debilitating.  No wonder we get stuck.

It's time to change.  It's time to be kind to ourselves, to let go of that scolding, criticizing, blaming voice inside our heads that makes us feel so bad.  As has been said over and over, we are our own worst critics.  Why concentrate on the bad?  Ask anyone who knows and loves you: you will hear a litany of all the good things they see in you.  Recognize and accept the good while acknowledging that, for your entire life, you are a masterpiece in progress.

Resolve to be kind to yourself while you work on what needs to be done. You'll free yourself up to pursue all the wonderful dreams you've been saving for "some day."

Repeat after me:


                        "Today, I will be kind to myself!"

Again.

                        "Today, and every day, I will be kind to myself!"

Salud to your kinder self.    

Moment to Moment

Each moment of the day, each decision to the good made now, makes a difference today.  Knowing that you are moving in the right direction and doing what is needed lighten the load right now.  You don't have to wait until tomorrow to feel better.

Be encouraged and keep going!

Respect

We usually think of respect in how we treat the people around us.  However, to be able to fully treat others with respect, we must start with the most important person, ourselves.  If we are constantly letting ourselves down, not feeling good about ourselves, that affects how we approach the rest of the world, no matter how much bravado we put on.  In the end, the pretense is exhausting to our bodies and our spirits.  Much better to work at improving our relationship with ourselves so that we can give to others with a clear and generous spirit.

So, today, I say:

                                It is time to respect your body, yourself and your life!

A toast to your health in the new year!