I was recently given the extraordinary opportunity to spend a week in Paris with my oldest daughter. It was a true gift and a dream come true to share my favorite city with my daughter. We had an
itinerary planned, left a lot of room for relaxing, walking and of course, eating. We luxuriously slept in every morning and began our day of sightseeing every day around 12:00. It was a joy not to be rushed. Seeing landmarks such as
Notre Dame, the
Eiffle Tower and the Louvre through my daughters eyes was inspirational. She was so excited to see works by Van
Gough and Monet - artists she studied in school. I was
extremely proud of her.
About three days into the vacation, it occurred to me that I had been enjoying and relishing every second of the vacation. I was living in the present moment without even having to concentrate on being centered. It felt so good! The last few years of my life has been so focused on my kids, work, money, home-ownership - thoughts and worries that swirl in my head constantly. Contemplating beautiful art, learning about history, spending time with people I love, and focusing on myself burst the haze I normally live in.
Now I've returned home and to reality. I'm back to my life filled with carpools, work and multi-tasking. I'm grasping to maintain my vacation mentality. Living in the present moment was such a relief, like gulping a breath of ocean air. I had forgotten how great it felt, but I'm happy that I'm still capable of it.
Our neighbors brought over their horses to let them graze. It's a win-win situation. Their horses get fed and our grass gets mowed (the fertilizer is an added bonus). The fire department will be very happy that we will get it done in time.
