Welcome to Day 5! I want to continue to invite you all to join me in my month of taking control back, of seeking one moment of happiness a day. One minute of zen, of joy, of gratitude, of positivity. No matter how hard, how crummy, how sad, how lonely, how stressful our lives may be, I would wager a guess that we all have at least one blessed moment daily that is a little bit awesome. Has an ounce of good. For those out there maybe thinking, no way, I don’t have time. Not now. Not one more to-do. I am working so much, the kids are back to school (or are babies, or are going back to school remotely), my parent is sick, my home needs repairs…. I can’t do this. I ask… could you do with some more contentment in your life? A second of chill? An exhale of tough and an inhale of appreciation? If so, I promise, you can literally do this. It’s simple. It’s free. It is designed to benefit *you.* And me. And anyone else in the universe who needs a little pick me up right about now. Gratitude is always the quickest ticket back to a happier soul. I am feeling the shift in my heart. Just five days in, I feel less intertwined with the stressors in my life and more in tune with the lovely slivers of time in my day. I’m learning to let go of the uncontrollable and recognizing how much good actually exists all around me. It doesn’t mean my world is suddenly without sadness or hurt or cranky kids. It does mean though that I am not looking for more of that. I see it, I recognize it, and I move right past because I’m constantly wondering if this next moment might be my favorite one of the day, and I delight a little extra in it with all of my senses in the hope that this one might be mine. What a difference I feel from just a week ago. Believe you me…. I am sleeping better and my heart feels lighter. This has been like medicine for my wounded spirit, and I want to share this with anyone who could use it.
Day 5, here we go…
Iced Coffee and a Manifested Date
Many moons ago, a dear friend told me about another of her dear friends. “You would love her,” she said to me. “You guys are so similar, I am dying for you to meet.” Our husbands have the same name, they are another set of Mc’s and they have a vacation home in the same town as my parents. “I dream of you guys having smoothies and coffees at Soulberri and just adoring each other…I want to make this happen!” First, I adore humans who are generous with their friends. Second, this as-yet-stranger and I had bonded a bit virtually, by way of our mutual friend, over shared interests in nutrition and then also, thanks again to our mutual friend, not-so-coincidentally in an early January free online seminar about taking 2020 by the horns and designing the decade of our dreams (insert: knee slapping laughter at our naïveté of the imminent and impending implosion of the world as we once knew it). Still, I absolutely adored that online course and it was such a gift for me to take pause and reflect on bigger goals and deeper desires. (Check these incredible women out, if you’re at a personal or professional crossroad: https://linktr.ee/coachkristinadopson, http://linktr.ee/coachsarahanassori). At the time, we were both beginning our 40th years, and we both shared dreams of building something to contribute to this world, me by way of health, nutrition, writing and authentic sharing and her…well, her glorious dreams will soon be realized so I don’t want to spoil it, stay tuned ?. She seemed really smart and cool and had interesting things to say. Our mutual friend continued to gush that we should connect. We had discussed possibly meeting at the start of summer and today was the day.
This whole COVID world has had my family locked up pretty tight. I have hardly laid eyes on some of my closest neighbors and dearest friends, let alone other glorious friends who live just streets away (not to mention other besties who live in other states). This has been 5.5 months of distant waves hello during birthday drive-bys. No stores. No dinners out. No coffees with friends. No swim club fun. An occasional curbside chat if someone happened to drive past my home or if we biked past a friend’s house. This. World. Is. So. Weird. I have been lucky to see my siblings and their families as we are on the same page with our own family’s COVID rules. But I feel so faraway (both physically and emotionally) from the many, many beautiful people who once made my life so rich.
So this morning, after a glorious run by the ocean, sweaty, happy, I at last met this friend of a friend for coffee. We greeted one another in masks, ordered our iced beverages, then sat at an outdoor table (the only ones there). We took our masks down to sip our caffeine. We made pleasantries, asked follow up questions about things we had seen on social media about our big birthdays and the strangeness of this season, then began diving deep into past and present pains, struggles, successes, pathways and the twists and turns of life that led us to our people. Authentic, honest, real connection. Sharing souls. I felt downright giddy. I think I had forgotten how to do this. Even with my own people, let alone with someone new. I felt light and seen and validated and supported…by someone who I technically barely knew, but who had been vetted by a superstar so I knew her inherent goodness.
I think friendships are an incredible treasure. Things we should never, ever take for granted in this world, especially with the colossal shifts taking place in so many jobs and zip codes and desire paths. Old friendships are worthy of our whole hearts. New friendships are special too, in their own right. I am so very grateful to my wonderful friend who sought the creation of this relationship, and in so doing, gifted me access to her person for an hour, outside, who listened and laughed and let me feel once again what human connection feels like. Color me grateful. ?
Care to share your thoughts?