I reached into the back of the cupboard for the jar of honey my second daughter had given us on our last visit. It's not near the front of the shelf because I don't eat it all the time. Thankfully, is still over half full. I have been hoarding it, saving it to savor when I feel like something special. The honey is solid in the jar, just the way I like it, a testament to its unfiltered, organic, delicious origin.
When I take a spoonful of this locally produced Vermont honey from the nice big jar and put it on my breakfast fruit or in my tea, I taste the sweetness of our visit together as well as the very special love of my daughter. Because she lives a distance away, I don't get to see her very often. While we speak on the telephone, this is still not the same as in-person visits. This makes it even more special when Stephen and I can get up to see her. The taste of her gift gives me an nice chance to recollect our time together.
Such reminders are precious. They are not only opportunities to re experience the original pleasure of the gift but also to reaffirm the gratitude I feel for it. Certain objects in my life do this: the fish earrings my oldest daughter gave me one birthday--or was it Christmas? I remember my pleasure at her generosity and re experience my happiness.
When I wear the mirrored pair I bought on a trip to Italy I think of my youngest daughter. She lives there much of the year. As I put them on I remember again the sidewalk booth where we bought them, featuring the tall boots with pointy toes and the quantities of other goods hanging all around it. At the same time I also remember how tenderly she cared for me during my visit. She insisted I do no work, waited on me hand and foot, and made sure I got enough rest.
Happy memories are a mainstay of a life well lived. Keeping track of them, making note of them, and refusing to take these experiences for granted are all factors in the important attitude of gratitude that sustains and fructifies a good life. I feel so grateful to have the love of family members, the generosity of friends and acquaintances, and the romantic love I share with my husband. The gifts that they have all given me are a sweet reminder of their caring.Such reminders are precious. They are not only opportunities to re experience the original pleasure of the gift but also to reaffirm the gratitude I feel for it. Certain objects in my life do this: the fish earrings my oldest daughter gave me one birthday--or was it Christmas? I remember my pleasure at her generosity and re experience my happiness.
When I wear the mirrored pair I bought on a trip to Italy I think of my youngest daughter. She lives there much of the year. As I put them on I remember again the sidewalk booth where we bought them, featuring the tall boots with pointy toes and the quantities of other goods hanging all around it. At the same time I also remember how tenderly she cared for me during my visit. She insisted I do no work, waited on me hand and foot, and made sure I got enough rest.
I do my best to be mindful when I encounter what is uncomfortable, sad or irritating. I also try not to dwell on such experiences. As with a mosquito bit I allow myself to feel and then refuse to scratch, these experiences can become merely passing annoyances. As I acknowledge my discomfort and move on, I keep my focus mindfully on what is truly to me. When it is important to do so, I can address serious sadness or irritation directly, yet these do not need to interfere with with my life, depress me or disturb my underlying happiness. Instead I count my blessings, recall what I feel grateful for, and acknowledge the love that surrounds me.