Celebrating Life In the Moment

Day four

One was the things I do in my “recovery” is a zoom support group for people with brain injuries. The speech therapist that heads the meeting always starts with something called “bitters and sweets”.  And we are encouraged to share something from our week, either good or bad. It is helpful for me to talk, aloud, to people. Sometimes heavy duty things are shared. Things that those of us with an injury to the brain can relate to. It is important to talk about what’s going on in our life. But generally I don’t share anything substantial, partly because I’m a private person, but more than that, the bitters and sweets in my life aren’t big things. As it stands anyways, my life is even keeled, there are ups and downs for sure, but the ups and downs are gentle. I hope that doesn’t change. But until it does, it is still good for talking, aloud, to real people.

Here is one thing I shared a while back. Something I experienced on my porch. Be forewarned, it is not substantial.

I experienced something new this morning as I was sitting on my porch. Something I haven’t experienced since my stroke. I was sitting there as the beginning of a new day was starting to replace the darkness of the night, not a sunrise, not the dead of night, but in between. As I was bundled up in the cold on a winter morning, I realized my mug of coffee was steaming, as I looked at the steaming cup of coffee I saw that my breath was steaming as well. And a smile came on my face. I’m not sure why. 

Maybe I was thinking about those days when I used to do things in places where it was actually cold, like camping in the desert in the winter, skiing in the local mountains, or those 4 years of school in another state. Those were good times. Winter in southern California is mild. Usually the coldest days are 50 degrees or warmer.  Usually not cold enough to cause steam to rise from my coffee.  But this day it was, and I started to smile. 

There is something said about being in the moment, to experience the small things that are happening, the good things that are happening all around us. So, I guess I’m celebrating life with a steaming cup of coffee. How sweet is that?