A Beautiful Bouquet Of Moments.....

Moment: a brief amount of time, an instant of weight or importance, an indefinitely short particular point in time, here and now, at this time

This week beautiful living consisted of beautiful moments. Nothing big, nothing earth shattering, nothing life changing, just little snippets of time where awareness was heightened and savored. I would love to be able to say that I am always in the moment but that would be untrue. While I might be present often my hands are busy at a task or my mind rushing ahead to what needs to be done next. I can say that I did have a few precious moments to commit to memory this week where I was wholly present and aware and it made me hunger for more.
Our tiny grandson had his first over night here this past weekend and it was pure bliss! We were not sure how he would do come bedtime but it was not a problem. While he was here everything was put aside and he was our soul focus and beautiful moments began to unfold. Blowing bubbles on the sun warmed deck was pure magic! Delighted little squeals and a happy chant of "Bye-bye bubbles" filled the air as little iridescent orbs floated off on the breeze...and in that moment, I was there.Just before bedtime we sat snuggling on the sofa wrapped in a soft blanket. A sweet soap smell from bath time perfumed the air. I breathed deeply and inhaled not only the scent but the feel of soft hair brushing my cheek. I savored the head cradled against my shoulder and the weight of a tiny little person nesting in my arms. We played the Whisper Game. At two whispering is great fun. I whisper a few words in his ear as he intently listens, a slow grin spreads as he recognizes the words and feels their meaning, and he in turn repeats what I have whispered to him. In that moment, I was there...nothing else existed but little sentiments of love being passed through the air on puffs of breath.At bedtime I sat beside him as my grandmother had sat beside me and sang the same ballads that poured from her lips soothing me into the land of dreams. I watched his face as he began to relax, long eyelashes fluttered against his cheek, a little half grin quirked at one corner of his mouth, a last contented sigh released as he sailed off with Winkin', Blinkin', and Nod in their wooden shoe on a river of crystal light into a sea of dew. I felt the richness of this tradition. I wondered how many generations of my family had sung those same ballads to their children and their grandchildren. I knew that I had heard stories of as far back as five generations passing along these same songs and in that moment, I was there...connected to the women of my family, some of which I knew and some of which I only knew through stories.Mid-week often finds me doing laundry, not a favorite task to be sure. As I often do when putting away laundry I allow myself little nourishing drinks of the outside world by casting glimpses at the ever changing living landscapes perfectly framed by my windows. I stopped and startled as I locked gazes with a deer standing on my sidewalk peering in through the full view glass in my front door. I regarded her and she regarded me in the same curious manner. She tilted her head side to side then moved her head up and down craning her neck as if she were trying to get a better view. I suddenly felt like an animal at the zoo being viewed by a curious onlooker. In that moment, I was there...it suddenly felt comical to me, laughter bubbled to the surface and burst forth in pure joy, she startled and bounded away.The laundry task was much more pleasant after this encounter, as the day progressed memories flooded my mind of annual summer trips to the zoo with the cousins, aunts, uncles, and my grandmother. And in the moment, I was there...in my minds eye I was once again a little girl in braids, signature red t-shirt, denim shorts, and white canvas sneakers walking through the zoo holding my grandmothers hand, craning my neck to get a better view of some exotic animal, tilting my head side to side examining reptiles in glass cases, feeding peanuts to the elephant, with sticky rainbow snow cone juice running down my forearm and dripping off my elbow.

Beautiful moments, brief spans of time, wrapped up in the present intertwined with the past, a beautiful, fragrant, colorful bouquet of moments. Each one savored, cherished, and filed away in my heart where they will keep forever.To enjoy how others are experiencing beautiful living or to share you own beautiful life goals visit Melissa at The Inspired Room for her link up post today. Don't miss out on Melissa's post today, it is on her amazing experience and the perspective she gained during her recent speaking engagement at Blissdom '09. Melissa served on a panel that shared their thoughts on successful blogging. There is some really rich advice in her post today. Thanks so much, Melissa, for hosting!

Wishing you all beautiful moments,
Miss Sandy

Photos: Gorgeous Grandson's tiny hands learning to use his new bubble blower. A few blooms from my grandmothers garden this past summer, the last she would see bloom here on this earth.