As I drive from home to downtown, I pass the General Mills plant. On certain days they make cereal; I know this because the air fills with the scent of sweetened grain which reminds me of Life, Cheerios, and my childhood in general. I breathe deeply, inhaling that cereal-y goodness, and get a huge smile on my face. It makes the drive worthwhile because I never know when it will happen.
On my short walk to work, I try to slow down and marvel at the quality of light through the trees—I saw the sunrise this morning as I made my way, although I like the last few minutes of darkness as well. Once I walked through lightly falling snow that seemed to coat everything in a fine blanket. The only sound was my own footsteps. It allows me a few precious minutes to myself to consider my day, sing along with the song in my head, or just exist with the world around me.
When I lived in VA and had my dog, Boo, as I walked to my door, I would hear her run to the door and listen to her collar jingle as she wriggled with anticipation for me to finally get my key in the lock, whining and half-yipping in impatience as I cried, “Ok! Ok! I’m coming!” As I opened the door, she would jump all over me (as far as she could reach, anyway), wagging her tail like a metronome gone wild. She would give me doggie kisses and then run downstairs not only to be let out but also just to do a few circles, and come back for one more jump on my knees. It made coming home a treat; I sometimes felt like wiggling around myself. I look forward to the same kind of fun with our future puppy (whom we’ll get in May!)
Try to think of these things yourselves, or at least acknowledge them when they happen to you. Enjoy your day!
1 comment:
I'm with you on the smells being so surprisingly wonderful. I used to drive past the Wonder Bread bakery in Memphis on my way to work, and I would actually roll the windows down to drink in the smell of baking bread. It was perfect every time.
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