The Pause That Refreshes

Spiritual writer and teacher, Elsa Joy Bailey, shares the following
story:

"The day was innocent. Had a little swing to it, even.
Days like that are fun to be in. I was walking over to the grocery
store, wearing my favorite jacket (which by now is severely
shape-challenged), carrying a tote bag over one arm. I recall that
the sun was winking.

Suddenly a carload of teenagers appeared out of nowhere, like
misdirected lightning, and hurled their vehicle around a corner.
They missed swiping three pedestrians by a hair. A thin hair.

I jumped. The suddenness of it threw me into an unsettled
place, and I began walking over-carefully, as though I were
sidestepping broken glass. By the time I arrived at the store I was
in a fret. My mind was chattering - always a bad sign.

So I needed to recenter. There was a friendly little
delicatessen planted right next to the grocery; I went inside the
deli. Immediately I was engulfed in that delicious aroma common to
all delis everywhere: spiced meats, cheeses, garlic, tomato sauce,
creative pastas. You know: food cooked the way you wish mom had
cooked it.

There was a huge, eclectic beverage freezer in back; I pulled
out a mainstream soda and took it over to a table. Sat down, drank
some soda, inhaled the glorious essence of deli. For a while I just
sat there with closed eyes, remembering how I felt when the day
began, and how the sun had waved hello to everyone.

After I while, my mind got quieter. I thought about how much
fun it is to be a teenager, full of vim and vitamins and ready to
attempt spirited speeds in your car.

A moment or two later, I began to see they meant no harm, that
carful of youngsters; they were simply trying out one of the
planet's toys with sixteen year old abandon. Their energy scared a
few of us; it hurt no one.

As I thought about the way minds work when they are in teen
mode, and recalled the years I had worn that very same mindset, I
began to relax even more. Not long after, I even managed to start
chuckling over the entire incident.

The deli owner saw me smile and asked me why. I told him the
soda had turned out to be especially nourishing, and then inquired
if he had some fresh sliced turkey. He did. I bought it. It was
lovely.

On the way home, no car swooshed by me at a dizzying pace, but
if it had I would have been ready. I would have stepped back,
paused, and tossed a pound of Peace after it.
Fair's fair."

There truly is a blessing contained in every moment. Whether it
reveals itself as a lesson or an insight or a precious memory
rekindled, it is a blessing, still. But sometimes, as Ms. Bailey's
story suggests, we first must pause and quiet the world around us
before the blessing can be found.