“Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.” ~ Thích Nhất Hạnh

I’ve never been the biggest fan of sitting out back on the patio due to the endless insects that seem to gravitate my way like moths to lanterns. However, I currently find myself sipping a satisfying lemon and ginger tea and reading my favorite book The Storyteller’s Daughter on that same patio.

No, I haven’t lost my mind. Or frankly, not this time. Rather, it’s a lovely, warm and inviting day so I want to make the most of it.

From my work in childcare, I can’t help but appreciate the awe that comes over children whenever something comes their way. While walking my cousins home from daycare, they stop time and time again to stare at the stunning tulips, vibrant orange and passionate red.

Children do everything for the first time. How amazing is that? Can you imagine living a life as mindful as children do? I can’t help but wonder when that leaves us.

So I decided to sit outside, on that patio, as if for the first time. A few bees buzzed by and I can see a trail of ants attempting to carry a crumb five times their size back home. The fountain is trickling in a meditative way, glistened by the sun’s reflection. Mindfulness in such situations can offer respite in unimaginable ways.

There’s a quote from Cameron Dokey’s The Storyteller’s Daughter that sums this up:

“How long they traveled she never knew, for it was a thing she had ceased to care about. She cared only about the warmth of the sun on her face, the breath of the wind through her hair.”

These words speak to me as I feel the gentle caress of the sun’s rays and subtle breeze weave its way through my hair. Yet some experiences don’t have words. They just simply are.

Key into that mindfulness and allow it to take you on an adventure each time. Become a child who views the world anew with each glance. Challenge yourself to apply mindfulness to situations you may have previously judged. Let yourself be, content that some experiences have no words.

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Apprentice Editor: Jessica Sandhu / Editor: Renée Picard

Photos: Flickr