Detour Ahead

We were still processing as we headed to the airport on Friday to fetch Heidi's nephew, Kyle. His presence was planned as a surprise for her mom's 80th birthday celebration, but her brother had let it slip the night before. 

"It makes me mad!" I started, "but maybe I'm just disappointed."

Heidi nodded. "My mom doesn't really like surprises anyway," she pointed out with a shrug. "So maybe it was for the best."

"But we didn't even get to be there when he wrecked it!" I groused. "Oh, crap!" I said. "I just missed the exit for the airport! That's what I get for complaining."

The map app blinked disapprovingly, and then recalculated, adding 15 minutes to our arrival. Fortunately, traffic was lighter than predicted and we made good time, meeting Kyle just as he whooshed through the big doors at arrivals.

This morning? It was a different story. The party was over, and we all agreed it had been success. The visit had been fun and too short, but Kyle had to get back for work, so we piled into the car and headed back to the airport. This time, the vibe was totally different. It was a little early, and the three of us were quieter, making tentative plans for the next time we might see each other. 

It had been a good weekend, and, undistracted by any negativity? I did not stray from the route.

Why take on just one challenge when you can tackle two? This month, I'm using the Action for Happiness Mindful March calendar as a daily prompt for living and writing. 

Not That Tired

"Do you want to play another game of Spit?" my nephew Kyle asked. 

He's 25, but he's an only child, so he missed out on those endless summer days of playing cards with siblings. In our house, the fast-paced game of card stacking was always a favorite, but until this weekend? Kyle had never played. Still, he's usually up for a little competition, and I, if I do say so myself, am a good teacher, so soon we were happily slapping cards on piles. He picked the game up pretty quickly, but even so, he was facing over five decades of experience; I may be old, but I've still got the muscle memory to make a formidable opponent. 

We'd been playing for a while when he posed his question, though, and I declined the challenge, thinking ahead to all the things I still needed to accomplish on this Saturday.

"What? Are you tired of winning?" he taunted me with a raised eyebrow and a twinkle in his blue eyes.

I laughed. "It's on!" I answered. "I think I can beat you at least one more time!"

Why take on just one challenge when you can tackle two? This month, I'm using the Action for Happiness Mindful March calendar as a daily prompt for living and writing. 

Evening Constitutional

It was pouring rain when we arrived in Buffalo after nearly eight hours on the road, and we dashed through the drops to unload the car and get inside the warm house, where dinner was waiting. A couple of hours later, though, a full belly and a day sitting on my butt caught up with me, and I peered into the darkness to see if the rain had let up. 

It had not, but both the dog and I needed some fresh air and a good leg-stretching, so we geared up and headed out into the misty evening. There was a steady, but soft patter of rain on us as we walked the deserted sidewalks, sidestepping as many puddles as we could, but the air was mild, and the wind was still. 

Thirty minutes later, we closed our mile-and-a-half loop, a little damp but relaxed and clear-headed too.

Why take on just one challenge when you can tackle two? This month, I'm using the Action for Happiness Mindful March calendar as a daily prompt for living and writing. 

Offline

I never really thought about it, but maybe one reason I love roadtrips so much is the forced absence of screens. When you're at the wheel heading for the horizon, you can't be on your phone, too. Moreover? I don't miss it. 

And that was true today, as we headed north to Buffalo to celebrate my mother-in-law's 80th birthday. We saw cherry blossoms, daffodils, mountains, pastures, horses, log cabins, cemeteries, and trailer parks as we drove through sun and torrential rain. We talked, listened to an audiobook, and sang along with the radio, but we didn't swipe, tap, scroll, like, save, or delete a single thing. 

It was pretty wonderful.

Why take on just one challenge when you can tackle two? This month, I'm using the Action for Happiness Mindful March calendar as a daily prompt for living and writing. 

Red Light, Green Light

One of my favorite NY Times writers, Melissa Kirsch, has started a new weekly newsletter called The Good List. Subscribers receive an email every Wednesday with a curated collection of "ideas, rituals, and artifacts to add joy to your days." I was sold when I read about the idea a couple of weekends ago in Kirsch's regular Saturday essay, but after 2 weeks? I'm all in!

At the end of this week's installment, Kirsch added a recommendation from a reader: instead of griping about all the red lights you hit while driving, consider counting all the green lights you make. It might just shift your mood!

Why take on just one challenge when you can tackle two? This month, I'm using the Action for Happiness Mindful March calendar as a daily prompt for living and writing. 

A Hand for my Hands

My hands were busy today! 

They brewed coffee, packed lunch, made tart dough, and held gyan mudra for eleven minutes during meditation. They washed and dried my hair, drove me to bowling, and high-fived my teammates after throwing five strikes and picking up 11 spares. They switched my bowling bag for my work bag and took notes throughout a 90-minute meeting for test coordinators preparing for the upcoming SOLs. They snapped photos of the flock of cedar waxwings that was right.outside.the.window! Then they leashed up the dog and kept her close as we walked the neighborhood. And now they are limbering up to roll out that dough and top it with caramelized onions and greens to serve with tossed salad for dinner, just as soon as they finish typing this appreciation.

Why take on just one challenge when you can tackle two? This month, I'm using the Action for Happiness Mindful March calendar as a daily prompt for living and writing. 

FOMO

I was feeling frazzled as I settled into the tiny blue chair next to the bookshelf and carpet. I had been scheduled to observe this first-grade class at 8:30, but an accident at rush hour on I-295 had doubled my travel time, and I was late. I took a deep breath, adjusted my glasses, pulled out my pen and pad, and prepared to record what I was seeing. 

Six little scholars were sitting at the focus group table, blending sounds into words with their teacher as she played a phonemic awareness "game" with them. I was beginning to write when, over my shoulder, I heard whispering. I turned toward the murmur, and I saw another little girl following along with the lesson from her desk. She was supposed to be working on Lexia on her device, but she was acing the game instead—quietly answering every question correctly.

I laughed, and when I turned back to my observation, I realized that all the tensions of my troublesome travels were gone. I guess I just needed a little first-grade mojo.

Why take on just one challenge when you can tackle two? This month, I'm using the Action for Happiness Mindful March calendar as a daily prompt for living and writing.