A Lesson in Openness

The beauty of SpainI go for a one-hour walk every day with my husband. Today I was feeling the pressure of hitting my word count and wanted to skip the walk. There’s a deadline looming, and I’m not totally stressed about it, but I am quite a distance away from zen.


We went walking anyway, and along the way we talked to a couple we met last summer from Barcelona who are visiting their family farmhouse for the Easter holiday (Semana Santa). It was nice to see them, and to beremembered after a winter apart.


They took us on a tour of their property and gave us cuttings of beautiful cacti from their courtyard. We petted the dogs, said goodbye, and kept walking.


Then we saw a friend from the village drive down the road, the man who gave us the first basil plant for our house when we moved in, and he invited us to visit the farmhouse he is restoring. We hopped in the car and drove over. The house is surrounded by gardens and olive trees, patios and even a swimming pool for his grandkids. From the moment we got out of the car I could smell the flowers he uses to brew manzanilla tea (no teabags!), the lemon trees, and the exotic blossoms in pots around the courtyard. We sat inside, listening to big band music on the stereo while we talked, eating fresh tomatoes in olive oil and salt, and sipping beer.


We left with home canned tomatoes, dried tomatoes, lemons, green beans and dried peppers, plus instructions for cooking and an invitation to return.


Our one-hour walk was more like 3-1/2 hours, and I’m strangely motivated to write more instead of feeling like the work day is gone.


This day was a good reminder to me to make sure my deadlines still leave enough room for living, to enjoy those spontaneous moments and connections that only happen unbidden, unplanned, and require an open heart and schedule.


My wish for you today is a moment of pleasant surprise, sweet connection with other people, and gratitude for the little things in life.


Are you joining the fun on my Facebook page? This week people helped me name a character’s dog for English Ivy, learned that I broke up with one ex-boyfriend because he had a dirty bathroom, and helped me guess who could have sent me chocolate roses (which strangely ended up at my pharmacy instead of my house). We have fun, and you should join us by liking the page here.

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Published on April 02, 2015 09:19
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