Moments D662: Pampering Mani/Pedi Redux

Today is Valentine's Day.  This year is slightly different for me in that I have love in my life now.  That said, I still feel like V-Day is a "Hallmark" day.   It is, at most, a milestone which reminds me of all the other days of the year that we forget to appreciate those we love.  

This year, I wasn't planning on anything special for the evening.  Why not?  Well, because EQ and I try to celebrate us a little every day.  So my big plan:  introducedEQ to my (now) tradition for Valentine's Day:  A Mani/Pedi for us both!.

We spent some time post work pampering ourselves and enjoying a little chatter with the ladies at the salon. A side by side mani/pedi for EQ and I.  What a treat that was!  After we were all buffed up, we headed home to order in and curl up on the couch together.  Not a whole lot different than any other night, except the fact that EQ spoiled me greatly today.  This I had not expected.

EQ was bound and determined to make it a very special day for us as it is our first Valentine's Day together. He was successful!  

First of all, my morning started with a song that he created for me.  What!?  Really?  Yes!  That alone is the most touching thing anyone has ever done for me.  He later greeted me with an armful of flowers at lunch and showered me with words of love in a special card for me after dinner.

His point:  Valentine's Day is an opportunity to celebrate our love with a little more depth and frivolity. He did that with great charm today.   In the end it was the perfect way to spend our first Valentine's Day together. 

On some level, he's right.  Today is indeed an opportunity to pause and appreciate those you love.  All those you love!  So today's moment:  recognizing this point and conceding to EQ's vision for the day.

And so, I pause:  I am fortunate to have a man in my life that loves me sweetly and deeply.  I am also fortunate to have friends that love and appreciate me (and I them!).  I am grateful for my ever loving and supportive family.  And, in the spirit of EQ's perspective, I sent out text to many of my friends offering a reminder love today.  I even ended up sending out a couple of cards in the mail as a surprise.  

Today isn't easy for some because it's a day aimed at romantic love and those without it can find it a tedious day.  Today, I celebrated both, my romantic love and the love I have for those I am fortunate to have in my life.  

Which brings me back to my nail place.  When EQ and I first arrived the owner catcalled to us as we entered the door:  "She wins!"  She was talking about the fact that EQ is here in Toronto.

Yes.  I did win.  But not really in the way she thinks.

Moments appreciating a quiet moment with the man I love.

Moments realizing that Valentine's Day can be more than just a milestone to lost moments.

Moments D357: Connecting

Today I had one of my favourite lunches - a chiropractic/acupuncture appointment. Honestly, it’s the best way to spend my lunch hour.

Now this appointment was scheduled for last week, but it was moved due to my chiropractor having a family emergency. Now I love my chiropractor. She’s an amazing person and we’ve had many a causal conversation about life. My first reaction was “oh no! Please give her my warm thoughts for her family struggles”.

So today, when I arrived on time for my appointment only to find out that she’s running late, I didn’t even bat an eyelash. She offered me a tea and I graciously accepted. It was a nice way to spend 10 minutes waiting.

When we finally were able to start my appointment her first question, of course, was to find out how I have been and what my ailments were. I turned that around. I asked her about her, and if she was okay. She revealed that last week her grandfather had suddenly passed away. We talked about it for a stretch of time. I didn’t press, but it seemed like she wanted to share. It felt like we really connected in that moment. It felt good to give her a moment to share. And before we knew it we were back into the swing of the appointment.

It was a brief moment, but one that warms my heart.

Moments to pause regular life to see the bigger picture.

Moments connecting.

Moments D309: Concerts and Cameras oh my!

This evening I spent at a concert with my 17 year old niece.  I found myself in a sea of young adults, some of which were most certainly still going through the last stages of puberty.

It was an amazing moment to share with my niece.  We laughed at the pushing crowd (pushier than my hardcore rocking Soundgarden concert goers) and we conspired about flying elbows and gum being dropped in hair.  Of course none of that happened!  But we giggled about it in whispers.

And as the concert progressed to the most popular of songs by Imagine Dragons, the sea swarmed with cameras and smartphones recording the songs in their entirety.  For me, that’s a disconnect between the “here and now” and “capturing a moment”.  A moment isn’t the entire concert - it’s snippets of it.  I realized years ago that being caught behind a lens all the time takes you out of the moment.  A moment that becomes a memory in and of itself.  Is it nice to have a couple of pictures to jog your memory?  Definitely, but I don’t want to relive entire moments through image.  I want them to be deep within me.

The disconnect between self and the world around you.

Are we now more interested in being connected with others through image instead of absorbing the moment within?  Hmmm.  A question that puzzles me.

Instead of being annoyed or upset that I could no longer see the stage and band through the sea of arms and cameras I closed my eyes and listened.  I listened to the intricacies of the band.  I listened to the people around me and their reactions to the music. And, I danced.  Quietly.  By myself.  For me, that’s absorbing a moment.  Taking it all in.  And for me, I will always fondly remember this night, not because of the band, but because it was such a treasured time to spend with my niece.

Moments connecting.

Moments going deeper than the world outside.

Moments D296: Pampering Mani/Pedi

Today is Valentine’s day. For me, it’s always been a “Hallmark” kinda day and it only seems worse as the years have passed. Don’t get me flowers on Valentine’s day. That’s lame. Surprise me in the middle of January or the end of March. After all, we should love, appreciate and tell the people we love how much they mean to us everyday.

I get it though. Sometimes life takes over and the mundane washes over us. It’s good to have a milestone to remind us to take a moment and appreciate those around us. I do, of course, take the time to tell those I love that I love them on Valentine’s Day. But the craze? That I avoid. And today always reminds me to find ways every day to appreciate the people I love.

So tonight, I took a moment for myself. I treated myself to a manicure and a pedicure. I was worried that the salon would be busy. Quite the contrary. It was a ghost town. I was the only customer there. Huh. I guess that means the coupled ladies in the hood had plans and the other single ladies (like most I know) tucked in and avoided being out on their own. {sigh} That saddened me a bit.

Personally, I’m okay being on my own tonight. I received a lot of love from people in my circles. What more can a girl ask for?

An insight: I’ve never believed in “true love”. We’re all connected. We are more connected with certain souls. This is what I believe. There are people that you just “fit” with. Is this true love? Not necessarily. It doesn’t need to be a lover to fit. It could be a best girlfriend, or a teacher, or a mentor. There are many levels of “fitting” and connecting, in my humble opinion.

My day will come when I find the right “partner in crime” again. I’m not worried about it as I was, maybe 6 months ago. I’m a pretty cool chick with a lot to offer and I’m happy with the friends and family that surround me.

And then my foot massage kicked in with a focused conversation (because there were no other distractions). I was very happy to have the place to myself.

Moments for oneself.

Moments of reflection and soap-boxing.

(sorry about that!)

Moments D237: Mind Meld

You know those moments where you think of something and it either happens exactly as you had hoped (or envisioned) or those moments where someone close to you reads your mind?

Well that happened to me today and it brought the biggest smile to my face!

Tonight I was out last minute Christmas shopping with someone very important and close to me. I’m not so good with last minute shopping as I find it stressful. It’s busy, it’s crowded and people are usually not in the best of moods. The list was long and time was short, but surprisingly we made use of every moment with smiles and laughter and we even managed to get dinner in earlier than expected. (A good thing since I was hungry when we started shopping….and those that know me know that when I’m hungry, grumpy isn’t far around the corner!)

We were driving two cars as we met at the Toy store right after work. On the way home, I was thinking I really should stop at Starbucks on the way and pick up the gift certificates on my list. The next thing I know, I’m following his car into the parking lot of Starbucks. Yup. Mind meld. Very cool.

Moments realizing that someone’s paid attention to your words.

Moments appreciating that realization.

Moments D65; Hurricanes & Earthquakes

Today I thought a lot about hurricanes and earthquakes. It’s an analogy that was used once to explain two incredible forces coming together. It was suggested that this was a rarity. Something that didn’t happen often and something that should be celebrated.

As much as I love the analogy, the fact that hurricanes & earthquakes don’t collide very often seems to be untrue. (What can I say, I had to google it!) There have been a few studies done where hurricanes seem to trigger earthquakes.

But I digress. The point, and the moment to be shared, is the fact that rarely do two unique souls connect and share their life experiences. Most times the differences are too great. Other times, there isn’t enough of a common thread to bother exploring. But, once in awhile there is this rare connection. Something that ties you to someone. Most times when these worlds/lives collide you are unable to explain the connection, but the fact of the matter is that this connection is undeniable and it needs to be explored.

And so - a moment of reflection. A moment of trying to understand how hurricanes and earthquakes can work together to create a new unique entity.

Moments D57: New Friends, Old Souls

One thing about me: I believe we are all connected. I believe that we are here, as physical beings to learn and to teach. That every moment should be special. That every interaction should be focused. (I know, this isn’t always possible, but I do try to focus on situations/people as they come into my world.)

Today was a continued day of meeting many new friends, new faces. For me, this is what drives my soul. People. Talking to people. Hearing their stories and understanding how their experiences have affected them and how their shared stories entwine into my life. Sometimes this connection feels so deep and so comfortable that I swear I’ve met these people in previous lives or different universes. For me, I call them old souls. (I’ve been told once or twice that I have an old soul, so I suppose we’ve run into one another before!)

To this day, I am still amazed when it happens. I’m sure you’ve felt it too. Where you just “click” with another person. It’s that moment where you just meet someone and you’ve moved beyond the pleasantries. Where you dive into discussions about business or life or lost loves. It happens fairly quickly and without much effort at all. Before you know it you are talking about the meaning of life (42) and how one can believe in a higher being without religion being a part of it. You’re sharing some of your deepest darkest secrets without even batting an eyelash.

I really love those moments. I am inspired by those moments.