Day 764
The boys all received new chew bones (with peanut butter in the center) for their morning ritual. It goes something like this:
*Tear down the stairs
*Fly through the doggy door
*Water time
*dog food
*Honey Nut Cheerios
*Peanut butter bones
By the time the bones are dispersed, all the Goldens (Lilly too) are ready to hang out, chew and relax...much like me and my first cup of coffee for the day! Their routine MUST NOT BE DISTURBED in any way, shape or form! If one little thing is changed, there is mass panic!
I tend to be much like my Goldens. My morning routine can be traced to the exact foot placement and second on most days! Most of my steps are in the direction of the Goldens' needs, but a few are directed elsewhere. Like my pups, if I forget one step in the list, my mind draws a blank.
Doing things automatically helps us through our days, but I know we miss things from time to time. Perhaps there might a beautiful cloud formation outside the kitchen window while I am dishing out food for the Goldens. Maybe there is a glimmer of sunshine, flowing through one of the stained glass windows, splayed across the floor that I don't take time to appreciate. Whatever is missed in the quest to complete the morning rituals cannot be regained.
The other day, I was playing the piano for Mac and the pups. They were being the best audience! Somewhere into the piece, my mind wandered to other things and my fingers missed a note or two. Apologizing, I regained my focus and played on to the end. I don't remember what thoughts distracted me, but I do know that they were not life-altering. Also, I realized that I had played the entire piece without relishing the music for the beauty of the song. That moment can not be regained either.
What I did realize is that there are so many of these automatic, ritualistic actions we do throughout our day that do not need to be mindless activities. We can notice the clouds, see the reflection of color on the floor and hear the song while we move forward with our rituals. I, for one, am going to let the routines play out while I focus on the beauty around me that should not be extinguished simply because a task is being completed. I think I will go down to that piano right now and really listen to the music as my fingers mindlessly play the keys. Hopefully, the pups (and Mac) will enjoy the experience more when I use my heart, instead of some automatic part of my brain, to share the moment.
