When was the last time you you lay on your back and looked for pictures in the clouds?
When's the last time you belted it out in the shower?
When's the last time you took an iced biscuit and split it in half and licked all the icing off the one side?
When did you last spin around like a top until you fell to the ground all giddy?
When is the last time you decored an orange and sucked all of its juicy contents until the skin broke?
When's the last time you spoke gobbildy gook?
When is the last time you laughed until the tears ran down your cheeks?
When was the last time you went walking or dancing in the rain without shoes on?
When was the last time you got out of the swimming pool and lay on the warm pool surround until the sun dried you off?
When did you last watch the birds building their little nests?
When's the last time you threw yourself into a pile of leaves?
When's the last time you rolled down a hill like a sausage roll?
When's the last time you hung upside down off the couch and observed the world upside down?
When is the last time you had a water fight, or a cream fight or a mud bath?
When is the last time you played with your food instead of swallowing it whole?
I was just wondering!
I took some time out the other day and climbed into the hammock my oldest son, Calvin, had erected. Calvin had observed me building my meditation garden and decided to create a quiet space of his own in another corner of our garden beneath our Mulberry tree.
Well, there I was, all wrapped up in the hammock with a bunch of grapes in my lap. I was hungrily gulping down the grapes one by one until I crunched on the first seed which was quite bitter and I thought for a moment how I always chew and swallow them, because I have heard that they hold so much nutrition. I then in my new found 'guilt-free zone', decided to spit out the next few pips and this turned into quite a game, seeing how far I could project each pip. I then remembered how as a child I'd love to break the grape in half and then suck out the contents of each half, spewing out pips and discarding the remaining empty skins. I was becoming very creative and started peeling off the bitter skin with my teeth and nibbling it until all that was left was a perfect sweet sphere. I'd pop the juicy ball into my mouth and see how long I could resist before sinking my teeth into its juicy flesh.
I was lost in virtual heaven and I don't know how much time passed. However I can say that I really savoured and enjoyed the experience of eating those grapes. I really tasted the bitter and the sweet. It was a game and I was totally self absorbed. How self indulgent can some of life's simplest activities be? I was totally present and felt completely relaxed and refreshed.
I find I get a similar kind of feeling from washing dishes and getting my hands in the warm soapy water. For me it's always been a kind of meditation. It's something I want to take my time over and not be rushed.
Aren't we all swept up in this hurricane paced world, without the time of day to enjoy life's richest pleasures? Aren't we missing out on tasting, feeling, smelling and sensing every step of our journeys by hastening to the finishing line? Aren't we going to get to a ripe old age and realise that we can't turn back the clock? It's too late! We can't shrink our kids and go back and play with them. We can't PVR our lives and go back to a stage we glossed over so that we can really get more out of it. We've only got this one chance and it is today! It is right now!
So, I am putting this challenge to you. How about finding ways of doing things differently, turning chores into fun. Hand watering the garden instead of letting the sprinklers do it for you. Next time the heavens open, instead of dashing for cover, walk in the rain and savour the alive feeling of the water droplets pulsating on your skin. Open your mouth and taste the water straight from the clouds.
I can't wait for the rain!
Whose coming dancing with me in the rain?
Give yourself, dear friend, the most treasured gift of time
because you're worth it and you deserve the best life has to give
and it's free!
until next week
Nicolette
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