September 9, 2011

Today, I appreciate my life. I appreciate my husband. I appreciate my children. I appreciate my friends and family. My heart is full of gratitude.

I spent the morning at my daughter’s school at a ceremony in rememberance of 9-11 . As I stood there listening to a United Airlines pilot share facts about this tragic day 10 years ago, I turned to look around me and I saw a mother holding her baby girl, about 2 months old, sucking her little tiny thumb. Tears quietly pooled in my eyes as I looked at the innocence before me. Taking moments to notice innocence, to notice goodness and kindness is important to me. These moments are all around us everyday. How often do we stop to notice ? How often do we allow ourselves the time to stop, to notice, and to be moved by an expresssion of thoughtfullness, especially if it is not directed at us ?

The practice of pushing the ‘pause button’ in our life and just stopping and noticing what is happening around us is the basis of creating a life of peace and serenity. It is moments of peace, moments of joy, moments of gratitude and moments of appreciation that will bring us peace. Moments strung together are, of course, even better. Peace in our lives is created by practicing being peaceful. It is not an event or a destination, it is an experience that comes moment by moment when we are present to it and choose it.

Sometimes, as I’m standing in the kitchen stirring something on the stove or driving in my car, kids in the back seat, I will push the pause button, be very still and just notcie my children – really notice them. I look at their faces, their expressions, listen to their words, their laughter or their cries. I watch them interact with each other and their friends. I allow myself to be moved by the sheer joy that they are in my life in that moment and I appreciate their beauty, their intelligence, their humor or whatver strikes me in that moment. And then the ‘ play button’ is pushed and I go on about cooking, driving, or whatever else I am doing. The moment is not over- it is captured in my heart and I am at peace. I appreciate my children. I appreciate my life. I am blessed.

In honor of 9-11, I commit to be mindful of my blessings. I commit to pushing the ‘pause button’ today and taking notice of the goodness around me. I commit to experiencing peace today and in doing so, creating peace around me.

Blessings,

Phylis