Belly of the Buddha

I've always heard that if you rub the belly of the Buddha it brings you luck. I have a friend, a very wise, very young friend. He believes in rubbing the belly of the Dolphin. Berg, who has a mountain of a heart, loves big people, kayaks, alligators, and dolphins. Berg lives in this moment.

As an adult, I tend to live in the future and in the past. The present seems to be a vehicle to get me from the past to the present. This is not good. For all the things I read on mindfulness and being present, you'd think I'd get it. But no. Mindfulness takes effort for grown ups and is natural for children.

My goal this week was to be mindful of my needs; to be gentle with myself. Despite the fact that I have a list of things to accomplish that would boggle the mind of Stephen Hawking, I needed a break. I begged for a 36 hour day... just one or two. But I have had to accomplish a lot in a short time. And then there is the need and desire for sleep.

So the week went by. I forgave myself for the lack of workouts. I grabbed the healthiest thing off the deli at Whole Paycheck last night at 9 p.m. after work. I slept at least 6 hours a night.

And now, the bulk of things are done. The brainless work is left. And I will be able to spend a couple days in the glorious softness of snow and in the arms of the most wonderful person I know.

maybe I haven't been so gentle, maybe I haven't really been mindful or given myself a break. But somehow I have rubbed the belly of the buddha enough to cross a bunch of stuff off my to do list!