THANKFUL FRIDAY
Cindy Maddera
See this Instagram photo by @elephant_soap * 4 likes
Every evening when I come home from work, after releasing the hound from her crate and scratching her head, I take off my jewelry that I had been wearing for the day. I start with the bracelets I wear I on my left wrist, removing them one by one in ascending order up my arm. The first bracelet to come off is my J memorial bracelet and then the mala beads I got suckered into buying from a monk on the Skyline in NY. Then I take off the bracelet from Katrina that says "I love you more than much". This is followed by the wrap bracelet I got in my swag bag from the last BlogHer conference I went to and then finally I take off my little elephant bracelet, also a gift From Katrina. Next I take off my necklaces. First my little Ganesh on it's super delicate chain, a gift from Chris. Next I take off the heavy chain that holds mine and Chris's wedding rings, which does not seem so heavy any more. The last bit of jewelry that comes off are my dainty little elephant earrings. They were a treat to myself on my thirty sixth birthday.
The other day, as I was taking off my jewelry, I realized how ritualized this habit of mine is. I not only have a specific order for taking everything off, but I also put all of that stuff on in the mornings in a very specific order. To some of you this probably sounds like I am a little bit crazy. I recognize the crazy factor in this, but also recognize that every thing we do has the potential to be an act of meditation. This ritual of putting on and taking off my jewelry has become a moment of mindfulness and meditation. As I place each bracelet on my wrist in the mornings, I am setting an intention to be mindful in my actions throughout the day. As I take each piece of jewelry off in the evening, I am mindfully letting go of the day and the parts of the day that wore on me. I am thankful for these little rituals of mine because they keep me grounded and centered when I so often feel like a balloon tied to a very frayed string.
I have many things to be thankful for this week. I've been a little bit late getting home from work this week. Usually it's the other way around with Michael having to stay late, but this week has been a normal week for him. He's cooked our dinners while I walk the dog and I'm super thankful for this. I'm trying really super hard to be thankful for this body even though it has been creeky and achy this week. Weeks like this one make getting on my mat really super important and I've done that. I am thankful for an out of the blue phone call from a friend telling me a story that only he could tell (Chad, you and my Dad would have gotten on real well). I am thankful for moments of inspiration. I actually sat down and wrote a few pages of something that might need an illustrator (Jen Tucker).
I am always thankful for you.
Here's to a spooktacular weekend! We're taking the Cabbage to Halloween at Science City so we can make slime. And here's to a perfectly lovely Thankful Friday.