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July 2, 2021

Finding Mindfulness In The Everyday And Flying Home

Photo by Negative Space on Pexels.

Two years ago in Toronto airport, I cried as I waited for my flight to fly 1,256 miles back home.

I had no idea that it would be two years until I was able to return.

The pandemic at that time was just a concept that scientists and writers wrote about.

At that moment alone in the airport I stood back and watched the people saying hello, and goodbye to the one’s they loved.

Instantly in that moment I was flooded with love and compassion. A love far greater and deeper than I had ever felt.

At the time I told myself it was just that I was struggling living away from family on my own for the first time in my life.

My life up to this point seemed to happen quickly. At forty-two I was a grandmother and I had an empty nest. I was single and solo and free. After sending myself to school and raising a child while working I was suddenly completely on my own.

I was moving forward in away that was both scary and liberating.

I had waves of appreciation and grief that rolled in. The rolling and riding of waves became a practice in mindfulness and acceptance something I was very familiar with. This moment however, was different and I felt a shift.

I let the tears flow.

I settled and paced my breathing to an even rhythmic hum. I sighed and swayed listening to music.

In admiration, I was both witness and observer to the coming and goings of strangers in an airport. I was stunned in amazement aware that all of the people there were miraculously connected somehow. We are all connected.

Looking in and looking out I became attuned to the miracles of life in the airport. For some this would be the last goodbye for others it would be a start. Life and every precious moment seemed crystallized and frozen in time. Like a movie slowly unfolding before my eyes.

I watched the mother rock her newborn, the lovers slow parting kiss and the parents saying goodbye to their adolescent children for the first time. I was in awe! The deep connection with humanity and love was overpowering.

You can learn a lot from spending time in an airport. We can learn a lot from observing both our own internal landscape and the life around. Observing people we can remind ourselves what is important in life. Those precious moments with the people we love.

I’m eagerly waiting for my scheduled flight to fly back to the ones I love. There will be tons of tears at the airport I am certain and I don’t know who I will hug first. My new one-year-old grandson has waited a year for our embrace. My six-year-old granddaughter has started to believe that I live in a different country.

Life has continued virtually and yet still seems surreal. The world and everything seems like a science fiction movie.

I keep pinching myself to remind myself that this is real.

In order to manage my excitement and adrenaline I’ve started a meditative practice.

I will continue this until I am back home. Home is with my family. I begin each day with writing and self love. I mindfully do tasks and cleaning and packing of suitcases. I’m slowing down and ready to connect. There is a part of me holding back and holding on until I’m in that airport homebound. I’m sure that once again I will be flooded with love.

Namaste Dear Ones

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