MINDFUL MOMENTS

She just couldn't stop bragging about herself and her life. The middle- aged woman carried on and on about how charmed her family's life was. I listened to her and confirmed to her how wonderful her life is. I don't know the woman's name, I met her early last month when I was sampling cookies at a market I work at. I'll refer to her as "Ms. JOY" Ms. JOY and I started chatting about her cookie business  She was spending the summer away from her big family home in the city and summering at her lakeside cottage. Since her daughters are now at prestigious universities she has plenty of time to bake cookies at her summer cottage. Oh....I should mention that Ms. JOY is the ultimate cookie baker and has a special art of baking like nobody else. When she's not relaxing at the private beach, golfing at the country club, or on her yacht she likes to make cookies and sell them at the farmer's market for $2.00 each (for some pocket change). Ms. JO...

I really envy the people that get a care-free summer. I had a few of them myself and I know how good it feels to free oneself from major responsibilities. Yesterday was one of those rare days that I had the almost perfect day. I had the day off and said "the heck with my piles of work, I'm having fun." With no planned itinerary I drove to a idyllic small town that felt like a dream; gingerbread cottages dotted along a crystal lake with a bicycle trail, a public beach with powdery sand, a lush green park with outdoor games, and a quaint Main Street with non pretentious shops and restaurants.                                     Summer Fun on Crystal Lake! The whole place was as sweet as summer lemonade. Strangers smiling and saying hello, the sound of church bells in the distance, a band playing music in the town square, and a cloudless blue sky up above.  People were enjoying life ...

TEN YEARS AGO: I heard a story about two young African sisters who shared the same pair of shoes. Each would take turns walking barefoot to school and back so that the other could wear the shoes. The parents were just too poor to afford shoes for both daughters. Time went on.....then one day a wealthy American woman was visiting the village where the girls lived. By chance the three of them met and talked. This American woman was enchanted by the sweet girls and told them she would like to give them a gift.....whatever they felt would make them happy. She expected them to ask for something like a mobile phone but no....all these sisters asked for was a pair of shoes so that they wouldn't have to share the same pair anymore. The American woman was so humbled by their simple request that she said to them "Girls....I'm going to give you enough money so that each of you can afford a pair of shoes for the rest of your lives." YESTERDAY: I went to the shoe aisle at a...