The day is rushing by me. I’m tired, but pleased with myself. I made myself do the cleaning first thing, before anything else, before I had time even to think of putting it off! It’s enough! I’ve cleaned, shopped and done some research for family birthday presents, strolling about armed with pen and paper, making notes, writing down prices and annoying shop assistants by asking questions, comparing prices and buying nothing. Not yet! That will come later when I’ve had time to think.
Thinking – that’s one of life’s little luxuries. It’s so good to stop, to sit idly by the window of ‘Het Konings Huys’, the friendly hotel restaurant in the market square at the heart of town. The King’s House! Well, there’s a fitting place to while away the morning, taking time for a spot of ‘mindfulness’.
Time to reflect, time for me, time to let life drift past taking my thoughts with it and restoring my soul. The music wafts gently over me… “this crazy life…”, “whatever comes our way” – snatches of a song that enhances the moment, slows me down. I didn’t really need the coffee but I needed to stop. If not, I would have hurried straight home and found myself mechanically embarking on the next task on my list. It’s my day off, but there’s still a long to-do list. It’s time to firmly push away all thoughts of what is written on it and drift! So I’m here in this hotel instead.
Living in the present – so hard to do! Enjoying the moment! Last year our annual summer getaway took us to Wales where, totally won over by some clever internet photography, we fell in love with an idyllic, riverside, Welsh holiday cottage and buried ourselves there for a whole week of blissful doing nothing. This year we will return – for two weeks! A bubbling stream burbled on past the kitchen window, stopping me in my tracks time and again, entranced by its simple beauty and making it impossible to continue on my way without slowing down to match its gentle rhythm.
I am learning, slowly, that life is too short to be busy all the time, however pressing the need. As I sit, I soak up the knowledge that there is a flow to life if only I just stop once in a while to acknowledge it. There is a stream that beckons me to jump in and be washed downstream in its gentle, invigorating flow and give up the relentless fight through today’s list of chores. Often enough, I find that, re-energised by these moments of reflection, I have more than enough – later- to see me through the day and accomplish at least enough of the necessary tasks to send me to bed happy.
Mindfulness, meditation, enjoying the moment – there will never be another moment precisely like this, with these people in this place… I think maybe I need to learn this, to practise, to perfect the art. It’s a lot more fun than housework… but maybe, with practice, I can find a way of relishing the moment and enjoying even that for what it is… Maybe…? Maybe I need another cup of coffee while I think about it.
Thinking – that’s one of life’s little luxuries. It’s so good to stop, to sit idly by the window of ‘Het Konings Huys’, the friendly hotel restaurant in the market square at the heart of town. The King’s House! Well, there’s a fitting place to while away the morning, taking time for a spot of ‘mindfulness’.
Time to reflect, time for me, time to let life drift past taking my thoughts with it and restoring my soul. The music wafts gently over me… “this crazy life…”, “whatever comes our way” – snatches of a song that enhances the moment, slows me down. I didn’t really need the coffee but I needed to stop. If not, I would have hurried straight home and found myself mechanically embarking on the next task on my list. It’s my day off, but there’s still a long to-do list. It’s time to firmly push away all thoughts of what is written on it and drift! So I’m here in this hotel instead.
Living in the present – so hard to do! Enjoying the moment! Last year our annual summer getaway took us to Wales where, totally won over by some clever internet photography, we fell in love with an idyllic, riverside, Welsh holiday cottage and buried ourselves there for a whole week of blissful doing nothing. This year we will return – for two weeks! A bubbling stream burbled on past the kitchen window, stopping me in my tracks time and again, entranced by its simple beauty and making it impossible to continue on my way without slowing down to match its gentle rhythm.
I am learning, slowly, that life is too short to be busy all the time, however pressing the need. As I sit, I soak up the knowledge that there is a flow to life if only I just stop once in a while to acknowledge it. There is a stream that beckons me to jump in and be washed downstream in its gentle, invigorating flow and give up the relentless fight through today’s list of chores. Often enough, I find that, re-energised by these moments of reflection, I have more than enough – later- to see me through the day and accomplish at least enough of the necessary tasks to send me to bed happy.
Mindfulness, meditation, enjoying the moment – there will never be another moment precisely like this, with these people in this place… I think maybe I need to learn this, to practise, to perfect the art. It’s a lot more fun than housework… but maybe, with practice, I can find a way of relishing the moment and enjoying even that for what it is… Maybe…? Maybe I need another cup of coffee while I think about it.
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