Enthusiast here

Last weekend, I participated in my monthly all-day mindfulness workshop at the Mindfulness Practice Center of Fairfax. Since then (and since I'm currently not working outside of the home), I've been toying with the idea of how to briefly describe myself. You know how on facebook, the "About" section pops up with a round of questions: What makes you happy? What's your life motto? Where would you like to visit? What are your hobbies? And I came up with this -- An enthusiast of simply delicious moments. 

I'm making that my personal tag.

In the struggle to establish a new balance between tending to family needs, keeping home, volunteering in the community and at N.'s school, figuring out next steps, and taking care of myself, I also strive to practice awareness and compassion in all aspects of life, to take stock of as many simply delicious moments as possible such as ... 

* our trek to the bus stop with my morning coffee in hand as N. asks for a couple of firm hugs & kisses before she boards.

* my daily morning walk/run/woods bath after N. boards the schoolbus, during which I'm constantly on the lookout for our resident neighbors -- mama deer and fawn, listening to the creeks' trickle, trying not to be startled by the enormous squirrels rustling through the early fallen leaves. 

* my at home Yoga with Adriene, who gently and playfully encourages me to find what feels good with every practice. Adriene welcomes all levels of students (including my not so flexhible self), is down-to-earth, passionate and compassionate when it comes to mindfulness. 

* working in the midst of quiet, whether it's the dishes, laundry, scheduling doctors' appointments, calling/writing my local legislators, participating in local school board/PTA meetings or journaling. 

* preparing dinner, including my daily search on allrecipes.com dependent on ingredients available. 

* welcoming my loves home from school and work as I'm sensitive not to bombard them with questions about how their day went given their need to decompress.

Simply delicious moments, these are. A mindful enthusiast, I try to be.