Sunday, August 10, 2014

The Elixir of Small Delights

He didn't notice me at all. He was too young for that, a tow headed baby boy tucked securely inside a bright green sling carried by his mother, his blue eyes filled with joy at the world passing by.  Delight and exhaustion, that happy mixture known only to young mothers and foolish lovers was etched across his mother’s face.  Walking along side them was a woman my age that was stunningly beautiful in a way that Madison Ave. and Hollywood have yet to recognize.  Dressed simply in jeans and a tee-shirt, her eyes full of love and a tender smile her only make up. One hand was on the small of the mother’s back and the other caressed the tow headed infant’s head in the universal symbol of cherish and protect. We smiled in recognition although we had never met and crossed the street going in opposite directions.

I grinned all the way home, delighted with the blessing I had witnessed. I let the goodness of that moment fill me up until I was like a cup running over.  How often have you walked past the small delights of the soul because you were too busy or too preoccupied with the concerns of the world?  Taking in the small delights during day that can restore how we see ourselves and each other.  We have to notice them first; we have to give the present moment it’s full due to be able to embrace the goodness that is so abundant in our lives.


 I tossed my book bag and purse on the nearest chair when I got home and turned the kettle on for tea. While I washed the day from my hands I took a quick peek in the mirror and saw something I didn't expect to see at the end of the long first week of getting ready for a new school year. I saw a smile and eyes that sparkled with joy. That’s what taking in the small delights will do for you; it’s the best beauty secret I know. Who needs Lady Clairol and L'Oreal when you've got the elixir of small delights.  It’s either fear or love, baby. What do you see?



                                                 

 Art by ladysymphonia