In Praise of Simple Days

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praise-simple-days

Appreciating Simple Joys

“We have to teach ourselves and our children how to appreciate the simple joys that are available. This may not be easy in our complex, distracted society, but it is essential for our survival. Sitting on the grass with your little boy or girl, point out the tiny yellow and blue flowers that grow among the grasses, and contemplate these miracles together. Peace education begins on this occasion.”

Thich Nhat Hanh, Your True Home

In gratitude for a quiet Sunday:

I am thankful for sleeping in until 8am. That has happened approximately 3 times since 2006.

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I am grateful for a quiet morning with my children. While we were reading the paper this morning, my daughter found my copy of Sunshine After the Storm, in which my story about my miscarriage was published. She knew Mommy was in the book, and wanted to know why. I had never talked with her before about the miscarriage, which happened before she was born, but I decided to share that piece of our family history with her. I did my best to explain it so she could understand, and not be frightened about it. I told her about what I wrote, and it led to a lovely conversation about heaven, angels, God, Buddha, babies, and our family.

And it ended with her telling me, “Mom, you’re sitting on God!” When I looked at her funny, she said, “I read a non-fiction book about God, and it said that everything is God. I am God, and you are God!” And, even though I have issues with religious words like “God,” I just loved that moment.

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This deep conversation was followed by my son snuggling with me under a blanket in my favorite chair while my daughter read Wacky Wednesday and Dinosaurs Love Underpants to us. I love how motherhood goes from the serious to the silly in a matter of minutes.

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I am thankful for a slow afternoon at home, an afternoon that included our first fireplace fire of the season, hot chocolate, football, reading, and playing.

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Since the quotation above references teaching gratitude and joy to our children, I’ll share what my kids said they were grateful for Sunday night. For my daughter, it was having her friend over a for a few hours in the afternoon. For my son, it was for his dinner {chicken nuggets, yogurt, and raspberries. Like I said, it was a simple day.}

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I especially enjoyed the slow Sunday, because Saturday was super busy. I had two dance performances. I’ve usually described my dancing in terms of how much it does for me, but yesterday was about dancing for others. We performed at the VA Hospital in Minneapolis, and at a local nursing home. After our performance at the VA, a woman came up and told us her husband was in the facility, sleeping upstairs. He will likely stay there through Christmas, and she had been feeling down about the holidays this year, but our performance, she said, “lifted [her] spirit.”

I don’t know how to say more without sounding sappy, so I’ll simply say it was an honor to be there. I am thankful for our veterans, for families and grandmothers and grandfathers, and for the wonderful people who care for them.

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What are you thankful for today?

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Sarah Rudell Beach
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