You're alive!

It's not random.

I am so glad you are here on Earth with me. It’s the Monday of spring break, and my body is excited to sleep in and spend more time with my children.

Slow down and enjoy life. It’s not only the scenery you miss by going too fast— you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.

Eddie Cantor

This week, I challenge both of us to slow down more. The simplest way I know to do that is to talk to myself when I’m doing simple, mundane tasks.

When I wash my hands, I can say to myself, “I am washing my hands. The water is running over my palms. The soap is fluffy and slick. I am washing my hands. The water is warm but not hot. I am washing my hands. I am scrubbing my nails. I am rinsing my hands.”

I can turn laundry into a moment of snail slowness. When I pick up a piece to fold, I can think, “This belongs to X. I love X so much. I am folding this as a gift of love for X. May X be well. May X be loved. May X be safe.” Then I can fold something else. If it’s a community item like a napkin or a towel, I whisper, “Bless whomever uses it next. Let them know they are loved.”

When I go get the mail, I can open the box and say thank you to the USPS system. I can say thank you to each person who helped this mail get to my house. I can send love and peace. Even if it’s junk mail.

When life feels full, I move too fast. I stop noticing the flowers in the sidewalk like last week and the birds in my yard.

I want to be a person who does life slowly. I wish to prioritize people over productivity. Join me in moving slowly this week and doing just one thing at a time. Narrate to yourself as you do it. Try it for one task and then see if you want to try it again the next day.

You are so loved. Peace

CT