have a seat

I had the pleasure of seeing several women friends yesterday at two different times in the day. My Saturday left me feeling full after a sumptuous afternoon and evening of conversation, reflection, food, laughter and just being in the company of good friends. During both settings, we eventually arrived at a discussion about an email I originally sent back in August that I had just re-sent a day earlier. It ended with these words,

“…I am sending you the gift of 30 minutes a week to sit on this bench, to turn off and tune in to yourself. To close your eyes, imagine whatever restful scene you like and bask in the quiet solitude that I send to you. If you just can't imagine using this gift during the day, use it before you get out of bed or before you climb in. Feel free to pull out this present more than once a week in shorter or longer increments as my gift is endless, all you need to do is sit down.”

The bench mentioned referred to a picture taken while traveling; it seems like I have taken photographs of places to sit down for a spell on just about all of my trips. Sometimes I have actually rested in these spots. More often than not, I purposely do not take a seat preferring to capture the desire so that each time I look at one of the images, I am able to take in the surroundings with a fresh perspective, sit down, close my eyes, and go wherever I need to go at that moment.

Today, I offer the gift of having a seat to anyone who is open to accepting this present. Hopefully you will say thank you, sit down and after you take a moment or two or however long you wish, will move on with your day with a renewed sense of being as you…

keep your peepers open!®

this bench is tucked into the butterfly path adjacent to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC