The morning started off a little different today. I suppose I could stop saying that since it implies that I have a normal morning against which all other mornings are judged, and since it is fairly clear by day 18 that this is not the case. I could just accept the fact that every day is different, and I have no way of knowing how this one will go when I wake up. We’ll see.

Meditation

Managed to get my meditation time in the morning again. It actually felt like a good session. It was a guided 15 minutes that left me feeling like I had just done some meditating. Sometimes after I finish, I feel more like, “What just happened? Why is my brain like that?” Which I guess is probably useful too. It was nice to start the day with a box checked though.

Exercise

I tried to carry that momentum into the exercise task even though I didn’t get to it later in the day. I did a few push ups just in case I didn’t get much running time with Theo. Then I thought, “I bet some yoga would be nice.” I almost talked myself out of it, but I had already started up the TV and xBox to see if there was a yoga video on YouTube. I found one and did a quick little session. It has been quite some time since I last tried yoga. It wasn’t pretty, but it was exercise. And it was a reminder that I actually like yoga.

Gratitude

1. I’m grateful for friends who want to include me and Melanie in some of the most meaningful parts of their lives.
2. I’m grateful to have family who is more than happy to watch Theo so we could do so without having to worry about his running around a restaurant that wouldn’t have “family friendly” as one of its top selling points.
3. I’m grateful for valet parking and for my willingness to pay for it even though that wasn’t the plan originally. Sometimes it’s not about whether or not you can park your own vehicle or walk a few extra steps. Sometimes it’s really the only option that makes sense, and it doesn’t help to begrudge that fact.

Kindness

Knowing that I likely wouldn’t have a chance to do much in-person kindness today, I went ahead and wrote a review for a podcast I’ve been listening to. I almost didn’t do it when I first thought about it because I didn’t have iTunes handy, and that’s where I wanted to leave my review. I considered the likelihood that I would remember or take the time to do it later and decided instead to draft the review so I could just paste it easily when I finally got to it. I think that was a good call.

Something Positive

So all that gratitude list was about some friends of ours getting engaged tonight. The proposal was a surprise, in front of friends, and we were invited to be in that group. It was a lovely evening despite all the traffic headaches and other minor annoyances that can quickly derail a mood. I am happy for the couple and glad to see them so happy together. It is a great partnership, one I know will continue to strengthen over the years, and I look forward to seeing that.

Have a good weekend.