I’m in zoom in mode lately. The little things get all my attention. I’ve been going for long morning walks in the park, smelling every flower, sitting next to the kids by the pond watching the tadpoles and jumping frogs. I have walked through the park so many times before, yet this morning was the first time I noticed the lotus flowers floating on the water. A red robin made me stop and remember childhood times in the garden, looking at birds and wishing one day I’d be one of them.
Last week I received a visit from a dear friend and we played tourists for two days. I highly recommend being a tourist in your city once in a while, it always makes me fall in love with my home again. Going on a free walking tour, eating paella, riding bikes to the beach, sipping on cocktails in the sun and watching a flamenco show. Afternoons of playing Rummikub in the shade of a tree, the scent of orange blossom infusing our days. My inner child went wild with all the things I learned, saw, tasted, smelled and played. So much fun!
On her last night in Valencia, we went for Chinese food in a fluorescent green restaurant. She had an early flight the next morning but that didn’t stop us from joining in my favourite Wednesday night game: Roomba Fight! Imagine a vacuum cleaner fully taped up with knives, and balloons in a mini fighting ring. You buy a balloon, decorate it and as soon as the ON button is pushed on the roomba, you yell your lungs out, hoping your balloon is the last one to survive. That's how you win!
Stuff like that makes me ridiculously happy. The silliness, beauty and wonder I find in the everyday. It’s been a while since I’ve felt so absolutely present in the here and now, the red robins and roomba fights. The luxury of time and rest I’m taking has been so healing. As if every day is made of clay and I’m creating some messy fun statues that have no use whatsoever but to put a smile on the face of strangers, loved ones and myself. It’s a good place and time to roam in and I’m so grateful for it.
I invite you to stop and smell the flowers today. Look at the world in wonder and play as if your inner child was taking over. Find or start up a Roomba Flight and laugh and yell your heart out at a vacuum cleaner killing balloons.
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