It's been hard to find a balance this week, between school concerts and work and everyday chores. There's been a lot more running around than I'd hoped, more times in and out of the car, more waiting for rehearsal or traffic or for someone to get home. Things haven't always worked out quite right, so I'm a bit drained and off kilter.
But for the first time ever, there are bright yellow tulips in my front garden, their slender necks bowed gently in the warm afternoon rain. Their needs are so simple - sun and water and warm soil to harbor their roots. For all the long frozen months of winter they lay hidden underground, waiting for just the right moment to step onto the stage. They have no other purpose but to be, and in their being, to make me smile every time I see them.
I'm surprised at the pleasure I take in seeing these bright flowers, the yellow and pink and red ones, nodding at me each day when I open the window blinds. Their appearance has brought more joy than I bargained for, perhaps because they are new and have appeared so effortlessly. I realize that simple pleasures like these are an integral part of keeping my life in balance. Like a deep breath for the soul, they put me back on emotionally even ground, something I've really needed to find during these past hectic days.
How about you? What are some of the simple pleasures that help you balance your daily life?