Being Present

 

One morning last week, I sat in the living room for my morning meditation. As I “came back to the room” I opened my eyes and the first thing I noticed was the pink of our blooming Christmas Cactus. My second thought was how I appreciate an overcast morning as it means we are getting much needed rain. Then I sat and thought about how the flowers presented a contrast to the overcast morning. I grabbed my phone camera and took a quick photo to capture the scene so that next year (or even years from now), I have a memory of this peaceful moment.

A year ago, a month ago, two weeks ago, I would have told you I did not have time to sit quietly and contemplate anything except getting to my desk at work.

After one week of retirement, I now realize I chose not to take the time to sit quietly beyond my 10 minutes of meditation each day. I may have even been in love with how busy I was – it may even have served as a defense against being present in the moment. One of the favorite parts of my workdays though was in connecting with people. It is impossible for me to talk with someone and not be present in the moment. My investigative journalist personality paid attention and wanted to know what the other person was up to or what kind of support I could offer them.

Lots of ‘mays’ I know. I am just starting to think about this idea of staying busy because I love the high of a job well done. Dare I say I may have even been addicted to working?

I sure do love the time I have to be present now. This afternoon I met up with my friend Elizabeth (Beth) Boyle-Roden for a visit. We sat her in her cozy living room and chatted away and I loved every single moment. Elizabeth’s positive nature, generous spirit, and high energy level are gifts she shares easily. I really appreciate having her as part of my tribe.

I have enjoyed spending so much time in the present over the past nine days. I agree with the people who told me that once they retired, “Every day feels like a Saturday.”