Words for a Mindful Moment with the Breath
“The Future is Now”
The practice of mindfulness doesn’t forbid us to plan for the future. It’s best not to lose ourselves in uncertainty and fear over the future, but if we’re truly established in the present moment, we can bring the future to the here and now, and make plans. We’re not losing the present moment when we think about the future. In fact, the present moment contains both past and future. The only material that the future is made of is the present… Handling the present moment with all your attention, all your intelligence, is already building a future.
Thich Nhat Hanh, Your True Home
Gratitude: Thankful for Back-to-School Season
photo credit: @Doug88888 via photopin cc
I love the line in You’ve Got Mail when Tom Hanks tells Meg Ryan he loves the fall so much he wants to send her a bouquet of sharpened pencils. As much as I treasure my summer with my family, I love love LOVE back-to-school season. The excitement of a new school year, new students, new learning, and, especially, new school supplies! I have a love-hate relationship with Target for most of the summer, for when I pass by the school supply section each week, I cringe at the reminder of the dwindling number of days remaining in summer, while my powerful Type-A organization-loving homing device guides me, and irresistibly pulls me to browse among the pens, notebooks, and daily planners…
The pull is too strong…
I am writing this on my last day of summer vacation. Though it is pushing 100 degrees today, the air already holds the powerful, loud winds that will inevitably sweep us into fall.
I’ve always thought that September should be the start of the New Year, not January. As a teacher, my life has continually revolved around September through June cycles, with the blissful rejuvenation of July and August. September marks the new routines and resolutions for me, not January. We will soon reach the autumnal equinox, the days shortening, the darkness turning us further inward for reflection and renewal. Yet September still has the life, greenery, cool breezes, and gorgeous color that inspire new commitments and fresh perspective to take us through the winter.
As I write this on my last day of summer vacation, I am pausing for gratitude for fall and back-to-school. I am thankful for…
- New school supplies. Fresh notebooks, new pens, and new post-its for creating and revising lesson plans. A brand-new, yet old-school, weekly planner. I know the world has moved on to digital calendars, but I think actually writing down my commitments and appointments makes me more mindful of my time.
- A job ~ a vocation ~ I love. Colleagues that I am excited to connect with again. A curriculum I love to teach. Students that are delightful to get to know.
- A new dance season! New classes, new routines, new performances.
- High school football games on cool Friday nights.
- Seeing my children learn new things and ask new questions as they begin a new year of school.
- Changing fall colors.
- Fall adventures ~ apple picking, hayrides, fall color boat tours, playing in the leaves.
- Cool days outside, eating dinners outside watching colorful sunsets.
In fact, I only have one worry as I head back to work. My blog. I have had so much time this summer to write, to connect with other bloggers, and connect with readers through comments, Facebook, and Twitter. I will still write and connect with you ~ I merely ask for your patience if I take more time to respond, or if, for my fellow bloggers, I am not sharing as much on social media. I’m sure it will take some time to get into my teaching-parenting-blogging rhythm. Please know that I am here and reading all your comments and blogs and updates, even if I seem a bit quieter. I am an introvert, after all. 🙂
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What do YOU enjoy most about fall and back-to-school?
- A Mindful Approach to New Year’s Resolutions - January 13, 2020
- Just This Next Step - December 16, 2019
- WAIT: A Mindfulness Practice for Waiting in Line - December 9, 2019
