A jumble of thoughts and ponderings

 Savoring simple daily pleasures

I have had several days away from my work due to being unwell, the weekend and my work schedule. During this time I have mostly been at home punctuated by plenty of wet walks and fresh air. 

We are creatures of habit and on many occasions either on my morning walks or whilst walking to work I have passed the same elderly gentleman. Evidently he takes a walk (A fairly lengthy one I gather, too) pretty much every day, at around the same time, regardless of the weather. 

On this particular morning I was taking my walk in the opposite direction, so rather than passing him, we were walking in the same direction. I greeted him good morning as I approached to pass him and for the first time we exchanged more than the usual pleasantries- Good morning, Beautiful day, enjoy your walk etc.  We commented on how mild the weather has been and I mentioned we'd not yet lit our fire which is very unusual for this time of year. He replied that they'd been lighting there's for about a month already and we probably didn't feel it as we were young. Then he said ;

" Hold onto it for as long as you possibly can"

Wise words indeed. Its all too easy to become complacent about daily life and perceived drudgery when in fact, if we don't see every day, every moment for the preciousness it offers- all too quickly its not within our grasp anymore. 

A past neighbor of ours once commented on our energy as a young family and when it came to throwing dinner parties, as we did frequently, that she used to do it "Standing on her head" and now it takes it out of her: The planning, the preparation, the cooking, the cleaning up , the late night-  admittedly off set by a wonderful evening among friends but leaving her to recover somewhat, not bounce straight into the next day. 

Our boundless energy doesn't actually last forever but we can implement things to help draw it out into a later years for as long as we possibly can. 

This is what I've been reflecting on over the past few days. How to cherish and be grateful for what I'm capable of NOW, in this present moment, and how to best insure myself and my body for the future. A building term bandied around here a decade or so ago was " Future proofing" Its just that!

Nurture and nourish the body you have been blessed with- forgive it its lumps and bumps and imperfections and delight in how amazingly it all works- and your mind! Fuel it with good food, hydrate, sleep, stretch, MOVE. Or all too soon you may find it creeps up on you and you realize these simple things you took for granted are no longer so simple, or they ache, or are stiff and sore and maybe no longer achievable. 

NO need to be super strict or forbid your self from things- life is absolutely for living and for enjoying and having fun! But moderation is key, and using your body each and every day- yoga, walks, swimming- whatever it is. Keep exercising your mind too, don't stop being inquisitive, reading, trying new things, leaning something new, exploring. 

I am going to re instate my (mostly) daily gratitude journal - it helps quiet the mind and focus on the good. It also is a nice feeling to sit and reflect on all the positives in your life, even on more turbulent days. I am going to extend the journal by making it more of a "Commonplace book"  a term relatively new to me but a wonderful idea of keeping all these thoughts- notes on inspiration, gratitude, recipes, what your reading, watching, walks, weather- whatever you wish to include. what a joy to have it all in one place and to reflect upon in later years. I have a beautiful pearlescent leather note book that was a gift from my girls I'd been using so its sitting beside me now with a lovely ink pen and the minute I finish typing I fill a page or two before starting on dinner.