This morning when I looked out my window, I thought I detected a break in the rain.
I got out of bed and went into my morning routine, which on Tuesdays usually includes laundry.
I also prepared a bowl of hot oatmeal with raisins, cinnamon and banana, a habit I recently re-adopted on the advice of my dental hygienist. She asked about my health as she always does and I had mentioned that my cholesterol levels were too high. She suggested oatmeal cereal.
"I don't like cooking in the mornings," I replied.
She admonished me with a gentle smile, and the words "Don't be lazy!"
At this time of the year especially, with the weather turning, it feels good to start off the day with something more substantial than coffee and juice. I use Quaker quick cooking oats and it only takes about 5 minutes to prepare.
With the fruit added, I don't need to add sugar. I just add about 1/3 cup of milk.
This is something I haven't done for years. Having hot cereal in the morning reminds me of my childhood (it was Quaker cereals then too) and preparing for school in the morning. It is a good memory and a good feeling. It is a simple act of healing.
After a shower and a change of laundry loads, I went out into the elements and up to Davie to get groceries. I was wrong about the break in the rain.
But it wasn't a heavy rain, it was one of those comfortable, familiar Vancouver drizzles that get you wet but not soaked and the temperature was also very liveable. I was wearing a t-shirt under a light jacket and a baseball cap and felt quite cozy.
The streets are now strewn with multicolored leaves of many varieties and as I walked up the hill looking at the wet, natural collage under my feet, I felt a lightness of spirit and sure of myself.
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1 comment:
One of the things I like about Doug is that he has taught me about self-care. I remember the day he asked me why I thought cleaning up for company was more important than cleaning up for us. "Aren't we important?" he asked.
Self care is so important --if we don't care for ourselves, how can we care for others. Doug also eats porridge most mornings, something I have not quite gotten to yet. Red River cereal to be exact.
My aging body is teaching me the importance of self care more and more. No one else will do this for us.
When we were in New Zealand, I ordered oatmeal one morning for breakfast, served with fresh
berries I thought I had died and gone to heaven. How funny is that , something so simple on a winter morning in July.
I continue to learn--thanks for sharing your lessons with us.
M.
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