Breathing Break

I went for a walk at lunch today. I left the office, car keys in hand, fully intending to hit the gym. That is until the sunshine hit my face. Game over. Cancel indoor running on a treadmill. I decided to get off the treadmill, pack in my keys and head out anywhere my heart would take me.

My sunglasses in place,  a few deep breaths and I was off to the races. My stride was long and brisk and every step burned off a little more office stuffiness and stress. I walked mindfully, fully present. I didn't want to miss a thing: the tiny front yard with the carpet of ground cover; the purple hyacinthes clustered against a fence; the cardinal perched on a naked branch; the abandoned (or not) shopping cart stuffed with well worn green garbage bags. Who did it belong to?

I meandered along, happy in my head. Thinking time. Humming time. Singing in my head time. Time that lead me to the German deli. Oops! No need to buy lunch ... a five minute walk-around to the sampling stations and all the food groups were covered - cheese, perogies, breads, strudel, ham, and veggies and dip. Sufficiently sufficed - I bought a few loaves of rye bread and a bottle of beets and headed back out into the afternoon.

I have a bad habit of losing track of time, and breaking my own rules for sitting too long. Today was a much needed reminder that a mid day stroll in the sunshine is a calming tonic that can make the second half of the day -  the best half.

And I'll sing in the sunshine ... and I'll laugh every day ...