Today Bambi woke up thirty minutes earlier than usual. This made her have at least 10-15 minutes more to devote to her latest puzzle before going to work.
At the end of her day, while walking to her car, she had the joy of appreciating the incredible beauty of a lovely tree in the middle of the Canadian fall. She took a picture for you (shared below).
Minutes before this pleasurable moment of encounter with the tree, she took the time to inquire about a cute infant born abroad a couple of months ago. His aunt kindly showed her recent pictures stored in her phone. The baby made her day, just like the puzzle and the tree!
Then, she got home and enjoyed a hot coffee with French-vanilla and hazelnut flavour, telling herself that after work she can re-visit her puzzle again before going to sleep :).
Even if you might not care about Bambi’s day, she described it still to encourage you to think about the little details of your own day. You may keep your thought for yourself or, if you wish, you are invited to share your insights on this blog or privately. It is always a pleasure to hear from you.
Do the pleasant moments of Bambi’s current day change the fact that there is still an UGLY ongoing war in her birth country and/or in the neighbourhood? Sadly, of course not. Does it remove her worries about her loved ones, along with concerns or sadness for the displaced, injured, or killed innocent population of tiny Lebanon, and about the fate of the latter? Of course not. However, if only for moments , she “forgot” about war (which is days and nights on her mind) by focusing on the beauty around her and on inner states of calmness as well as flow moments.
For sure, she will later have an urge to read the news and to search the media and YouTube for live coverage on this or that channel, from this or that country, to try to understand or make sense of a senseless ongoing war.
However, for now, she tried to manage the extra heavy stress of life to the best of her capacity. She chose to do so by focusing on the present moment. Perhaps the joy we encounter in the little things help us in keeping our sanity, despite the insane world, and to preserve our baseline levels of contentment.
Perhaps the practice shared in this post is made easier when we live a simple life in a magical region of the wide and beautiful Canada? Regardless of (external) nature or of our own (inner) nature or character, finding meaning in daily life may give us a double sense of purpose and perspective. It might serve to allow us to manage our energy, which is key when dealing with chronic stress.
To conclude this post, Bambi wishes you all peace of mind. May your inner beauty shine on the outside world while you appreciate the charm of the little things of life. Have a good one everyone!
Sackville (NB, Atlantic Canada).
For the record I love doing puzzles. The older I get the more I like taking time to live in the present moment as the past is just that and the future is unknown….so the present moment is all we really have. Glad you took the time to enjoy it.
Many thanks, Dear Bonnie for sharing your love of puzzles (that Bambi shares) and your inspiring wisdom!
I think I will just say that your grateful heart is encouraging and that more people in Sackville NB that work in academia should have a place as you do where they share with the public here their more personal side [whatever they are comfortable with], their humanity and thoughts that is NOT on Facebook.. it would bridge a gap.. you are a trailblazer and an enlightened soul.. praying for peace and healing in Lebanon and the Middle East.. and hopeful now that Trump has been re-elected in America.
All the best from our cozy nook on the marshlands to your’s “Bambi”… speaking of deer – three were spotted grazing in the backyard the other day.. amazing!
Thank you Sally for your kind words about Bambi and her blog. Thanks for visiting it and for enriching it with your insights. It means a lot. And what to say about you enjoying Bambi’s three relatives who went to visit you :)? More seriously now, your prayers for peace and for healing in Lebanon and the Middle East are MUCH appreciated. Congrats to the new president of the USA and bravo to Ms. Harris for her campaign. As for Mr. Trump, good luck to him and to his team for lifting their country from inflation and poverty into more prosperity. May he contribute to stopping the current wars and preventing others. Focusing on the economy is much better than senseless wars.