Mindfulness Monday - Ordinary Blessings

Oh, the irony of forgetting to do one's MINDFULNESS check-in on the appointed day--and not for the first time, either. Oh well. Let's just say that caring for aging parents can be a challenging exercise in mindfulness.

I'm continuing to meditate and doing a little better with mindful eating and moving. There's quite a bit going on this week, and I'm behind with almost everything, so mindfulness starts to feel like a luxury I can't afford, even though I don't really believe that.

I want to stay present, but notice that I am often lost in the past or worrying about the future. Yesterday, in the shower I found myself mentally rehearsing an (anticipated) argument. I wish I could say it was the first time I've ever done that.

Still, I feel more grounded than I did before I re-committed to my meditation practice at the beginning of the year. Looking at the stats on my Insight Timer (an app with which I keep track of meditation sessions) is a great reminder of how even small steps add up, over time. I've logged about 48 hours since January 1st, only 10, 15, or 20 minutes at a time.

Taking care of my father is also a reminder not to take for granted the little things in life. Dad can no longer easily walk across the room to do even the simplest task. His dietary restrictions are so complicated that it sometimes feels like he needs a team of dietitians working for him. Gone are the days of endless variety. When your kidneys stop working and your heart and brain and digestive system have all been damaged in one way or another, even food and drink that would once have been considered healthy can be fraught with peril. The common refrain, "Drink plenty of water!" no longer applies to you, for example. Day-to-day survival is dependent on being hooked up to dialysis machines every other day, hours at a time.

Recently, I do a lot of what my grandmother would have called counting my blessings. I've never actually tried to keep count, but it would take more storage than my computer has to log them all. Too often, we don't notice these gifts until they aren't around anymore.

So many ordinary blessings quietly enhance our lives until time is up, and our gifts take new forms. What little things make your life fuller, richer? What would you especially miss if it disappeared tomorrow? Be sure to enjoy it today.