Stop time

As I walked my dogs through the freezing rain of Cleveland this morning, I had one of those stop-time moments. I was bundled head to toe so that all that was exposed to the elements was a slit for my eyeballs. I watched Griffin and Murphy happily bounding along, stopping to sniff random spots along the pavement. I marvel at their olfactory magic. Did you know that a dog's sense of smell is forty times better than a human's? I always wonder what exactly they are sniffing when they follow an invisible trail. I ask them, aloud, "What was there? A dog? A squirrel? A homeless person's bed?" They never answer. It was sprinkling a cold rain today (does the sun ever shine in Cleveland? It has been gray every single day we've been here) and the dogs' coats were glistening. There isn't much grass in theatre square where we are staying, but we came upon a tiny patch with a single tall tree reaching out of it. The tree is what made time stand still for me. I looked up and let the rain tickle my cheeks. The tree was still oddly full of leaves in that glorious pinky-red color, like the color of perfectly ripe Fuji apples. The dogs relaxed as we stood there and so did all sense of time. I watched as individual leaves fell. It was sad to watch their lives coming to an end but it was right, too. The Christmas decorations around the square seemed a bit early with the leafy tree still sharing the spotlight. But, the holiday decor isn't early. Summer stretched out like a lazy cat this year and autumn had to wait. But now it's time for each of those leaves to fall. It was mesmerizing watching them cascade one by one to the ground. I hope when it's my time, I will fall with as much grace and beauty.
I think it's important to note that this is the time of year when I am usually most depressed and more often than not, physically ill. So, what's different this year? You won't believe it, it's so unique, I'm sure it will be revelatory for everyone reading this. The big secret I've discovered to physical and mental well-being starts with... get ready....it's a real shocker: Eating right and exercising! There are other factors that come into play, too, like not having to sing "Think of Me" in a tight corset every night. But mainly, it's the green juice, the working out, and the meditation that's lifting my spirits. I can't recommend these strongly enough. Do you remember Cheryl Richardson who used to be on Oprah all the time? She's a life coach who wrote a book called Life Makeovers. She preaches "Extreme Self-Care." I think those three words hold the key to living your best life. Think about what that would mean for you. What would have to change for your life to be stamped with those three words? No one can do it for you. May I suggest that you take an action step and do something today that is solely for your own self-care. If it helps, you can think of it as community service. I promise you (and you already know this) when you feel good, you will have more to give to those you love.

I hope you have a moment today where time stands still. Be aware if it happens. It's a holy moment. (Hint: you don't have to wait for one to come to you; you can create one right now...just stop what you're doing and find something beautiful. Now, stop thinking and really see it. Take a few deep breaths and let beauty seep into every part of you.) Now write and tell me about it.

Peace and pretty leaves-

Sandra