This posting slot is usually reserved for our weekly blog recap – and it’s still coming later today – but it feels like a good moment to pause in our usual schedule, to put off our usual Monday morning madness, and practice a bit of mindfulness before beginning the work-week.
The other night, while writing a blog post not far removed from this one, I sat on the bed in the attic and listened as the wind wailed and howled outside the window. The whole roof creaked and groaned beneath its force – a reminder that winter was still very much here, and in no rush to move along despite the insistent ticking of the calendar. The wind makes its own music, especially in the winter. It’s strange that the more tumultuous and cacophonous it becomes, the calmer and quieter it feels inside. That a simple roof and a basic windowpane might afford such protection is a wonder of the world and how we survive in it.
The next morning I perform an early meditation – a luxury of a weekend – and I light a candle as part of the process. Candles only appear to give off a different light during the day – no less wondrous or powerful, and sometimes warmer from the act of joining in the daylight rather than being the sole source of illumination. On a frigid Monday morning, a little candlelight and a little mindfulness make for a proper starting moment of calm.
