Being mindful

Today I was reading the chapter in Gretchen Rubin's book, The Happiness Project, about being mindful.  I was reading this chapter while I was eating lunch - a nice salad with lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, chicken, and shredded Parmesan cheese.

My sister is virtually blind, a result of many physical problems including diabetes.  I quite often think about her and how she struggles to eat when she cannot see the food in front of her.  In order to understand how she must feel, I sometimes close my eyes while I eat to see if I can stab food on my fork and make it all the way to my mouth without dropping food.

I tried this experiment again today while I was eating my salad.  Then I stopped and thought about being mindful.  Instead of wondering how it might feel to be blind, I should be celebrating the fact that I CAN see.  I should be looking at my food and enjoying the colors.  Perhaps it is more important to be aware of the blessings that I have right now instead of thinking of the problems I could have in the future.

So I really looked at my salad.  I noticed the hundreds of little stems on the broccoli with the dark green buds at the ends.  Amazing.  The green broccoli next to the red tomato on my fork was so colorful.  The crunch of the cauliflower, the zest of the cheese, and the savory satisfying chicken made each bite a good experience.  Paying attention, being mindful, all made for a much more enjoyable lunch.

It is not easy being that present all the time.  But when I am, I realize all the blessings that surround me on a daily basis.  Food, home, health, family, church, friends, possessions, and the list goes on and on.  But today I am particularly grateful for the beauty of broccoli.