The puzzle of life is made up of many pieces.
Some we like and some we don't.
We are living through a trying,
Distracting time period.
Like moths,
We are pulled toward watching sad news over and over again.
However,
As doors of our routine,
Happier life are closing,
Other doors are opening.
Remember,
The closest exit from worries and anxiety may be found right behind you.
I invite you to turn around and open the door of mindfulness.
Right now,
Let's begin to explore glimpses of joy along the path of windows,
Mirrors,
And tunnels.
We will begin with my favorite ice creams.
Cherry Garcia,
Mint chip,
Maple walnut,
Or even vanilla chocolate or strawberry.
Recall as a kid an ice cream memory.
Mine was a trip to the bakery in Bellrose,
Queens in New York City.
I can picture it and taste it right now.
Right now,
You take five seconds.
Focus your memory of ice cream in your mind's eye.
That's the window.
Next,
Imagine looking at the moment of this memory and see yourself in a mirror.
I see myself inside the bakery with my hand reaching into the ice cream freezer,
Clear as day,
64 years ago.
That's the mirror.
So you have the original image,
The window.
You have looking at it from vantage points,
The mirror.
And next,
Expand the action as though you are watching yourself in the mirror.
What happened before and after that image that you were watching?
Describe the action of your multiple images of memory.
I walked down the street and around the corner.
Then I crossed over Union Turnpike,
Passed the candy store in the A&P,
And went into the Bellrose Bakery.
It was a great trip.
Sometimes I even took my dog Brownie.
I reached into the freezer and took out a rectangular container of vanilla chocolate and butter pecan ice cream.
The three pack.
The container was about the size of a large Philadelphia cream cheese,
And it cost 35 cents.
At home,
My dad cut the block of ice cream into four portions,
And my best dog in the world,
Brownie,
Got to lick the container clean.
That was the tunnel.
Can you feel the warmth in your heart inside the tunnel?
You can build this image of joy with mindfulness of your own tunnels.
Are you ready?
Or would you rather hold on to a burning hot coal of worry and anxiety,
Or just drop it?
Of course,
You would rather be happy,
Or at the very least,
Less sad.
