Breathe: Words for a Mindful Moment
Smile: Moments of Gratitude
I suppose it is only natural to begin pondering change and impermanence as we transition into August and the final weeks of summer. The cooler temperatures {at least in Minnesota!}, the back-to-school shopping, the first few leaves that have already fallen in my front yard, make me all too aware of the changes ahead.
One of my favorite passages about change comes from, of all places, the textbook I use to teach European history. Historian R.R. Palmer writes that, despite the emphasis in history textbooks on revolutions and turning points and change over time, human beings are “habitually quite conservative.” We like our comfortable routines, and we don’t take to protesting in the streets, risking our wealth in new ventures, adopting new technologies, or moving to new parts of the world except for good reason. We are creatures of comfort, and we often resist change.
But the Buddha taught that change is inevitable. “The world is in continuous flux.” We are in continuous flux.
The cells in our bodies are constantly turning over. Our thoughts and emotions rise and fall in our awareness. With every breath, we bring new life and oxygen molecules into our bodies ~ molecules that may have once been breathed in by our grandmothers ~ and we expel particles that might then get taken up by a nearby tree. As Dr. Martin St. Maurice, assistant professor of biological sciences at Marquette writes, “every breath you take has, at one time or another, been associated with another living organism.”
As much as I like routine, the inevitability and ubiquity of change and the interconnectedness of our continuous renewals provide me with a sense of comfort. Last night, as I reviewed my gratitude journal entries from the week, I noticed that much of what I was grateful for involved transition and change.
Today, I invite you to find comfort and gratitude in the inevitable transformations and continuous flux in the world and in our own lives.
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I am thankful for the cooler-than-normal temperatures this August. While many of my fellow Minnesotans feel cheated out of summer after enduring snow well into May this year, I am grateful for the early reminder of the changes that the coming of fall will bring. This cool August reminds me to appreciate summer, rather than wishing away the humidity and sweat, as I have done in previous summers. I am thankful for having the windows open, and feeling the cool breeze bringing freshness, vitality, and renewal into our home. Hearing the delightful sound of children playing outside, smelling the bonfires and grill-outs … I am full of gratitude for the sensory experiences of summer.
I am grateful for perfect weather for outdoor play with my children, and for capturing moments that are the essence of summer:
*****
I am grateful for new neighbors and a wonderful new neighborhood. Moving to our new home last spring was a huge change ~ leaving families, friends, and helpful neighbors and starting anew in a different home in a different part of our city. This week we celebrated National Night Out in our new neighborhood. We’ve been welcomed by the many young families, retired teachers, and everyone in between. I am thankful for neighbors that walk right up and introduce themselves and welcome us. I am thankful for so many delightful young people around us for my children to play with and become friends with. For connection and friendship with mothers, who welcome my children into their homes so I can have some me-time, and who trust me with their little ones in my home when they need time to themselves, too.
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I am grateful for and appreciative of the changes in my children. The new questions they ask as their minds begin to ponder bigger questions. {Like my daughter asking me “What is God?” and “How did words come to be? Why is ‘blanket’ the word for blanket?”} I appreciate how much easier it is to go on family adventures and picnics with them as they get older. These photos my husband took this week made me see my children anew: they look so big and grownup! I am thankful for the reminder of how quickly they change, and that the changes are often fun and amazing and wonderful.
*****
What are you thankful for this week?
River photo credit: Ian Sane via photopin cc. Modified with permission.
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