Enjoy the Moments that Come

Assuming Covid-19 has not hit your home, are you able to appreciate the delicious moments in your day?

Coffee still tastes like coffee.
The song of the birds is still there in the morning.
A warm blanket still feels cozy.

It is difficult, as the stories of danger and fear swirl around us. We do not know what is coming tomorrow, or the next day, or the next day.

And so to appreciate the good moments when they come takes some mindfulness, intention.

There is a parable, often attributed as Buddhist, that speaks to this:

A man walking across a field encounters a tiger. He runs, the tiger chasing after him. Coming to a cliff, he catches hold of a wild vine and swings himself over the edge. The tiger sniffs at him from above. Terrified, the man looks down to where, far below, another tiger paces, waiting to eat him. Two mice, one white and one black, little by little begin to gnaw away at the vine. The man sees a luscious strawberry near him. Grasping the vine in one hand, he plucks the strawberry with the other. How sweet it tastes!

Strawberry Tattoo, Jen Carroll

We have a constant reminder now of our fragile we are, and how precious every day is. Every day we are not sick. Every day we are alive. They are gifts. If we can still taste the strawberry, we should enjoy the pleasure.

We are being forced to live with tremendous uncertainty about our own lives, and about the fate of the world. What we can control is limited. Do all the things you can to keep you and your loved ones safe. If it is possible, stay at home. Wash your hands, repeatedly. Be careful with what comes into your home.

But then ... taste the strawberry. This moment will not come again. Savor every moment you can.

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