Friends: New and Old
I believe it's important to be mindful of the small things in life that make one smile, cry, laugh, feel joy and sorrow. When I'm aware of the little things that pass through the day, I find that, for me, it means that I've been living in the moment. I haven't been thinking of what could have been, what might be. Rather, I'm just taking in what the world had to offer.
This practice of mindfulness partially can be attributed to a practice I call "favorite and thankful," and that I've written about a couple of times. "Favorite and thankful" is simple. Each day, my partner and I try to tell each other what was awesome about the day and the thing for which we are most thankful. Here's what it looks like today, February 1, 2014.
Favorite: February 1, 2014 -- This morning I met with representatives of the Tibetan American Foundation of Minnesota. We met to discuss media issues in the context of a visit next month to Minnesota by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. After the meeting, I was invited to visit the TAFM cultural center where I had the chance to go on a tour of the facility.
Children from kindergarten through eighth grade spend Saturdays at the center learning about the culture of their people, language, traditional dance, and more. It was fun to see all the very young kids elbowing one another, giggling, pointing at me, and waving to me, the stranger in their midst. I learned that Minnesota has the second largest population in the nation of Tibetan-American citizens. I felt honored to visit the center, to see all the kids side by side studying and speaking Tibetan, and to have spent a couple hours this morning with members of the community.
Thankful: February 1, 2014 --It was a hard choice today on what to name my "favorite." It's a good problem to have, especially since it only is 5:25 p.m. Maybe by the time my head hits the pillow tonight there will be something that bumps my current "favorite and thankful" aside. I find myself, however, thankful for the community of firefighters and their families who have welcomed my partner, a transplant to the Twin Cities from west central Minnesota.
We today attended the "Guns and Hoses" fundraiser at a neighborhood bar that donated 10 percent of profits today to the fire department and Special Olympics. The event included a chicken wing eating contest between members of the city fire department and police department (PoPo won, but all had fun and laughed much). I watched my partner interact with his colleagues. I visited with some of the family members I'm starting to get to know.
It struck me that many of the families have been connected for decades. Their children have grown together. They've attended graduations, weddings, and funerals together. They spend their free time together at area restaurants that have supported the fire department. It is a tight-knit community that has pulled in my partner and I, and for that, I'm more than thankful.
Today, I've spent time with new acquaintances and new friends. I'm looking forward to the day when we become "old friends."
This practice of mindfulness partially can be attributed to a practice I call "favorite and thankful," and that I've written about a couple of times. "Favorite and thankful" is simple. Each day, my partner and I try to tell each other what was awesome about the day and the thing for which we are most thankful. Here's what it looks like today, February 1, 2014.
Favorite: February 1, 2014 -- This morning I met with representatives of the Tibetan American Foundation of Minnesota. We met to discuss media issues in the context of a visit next month to Minnesota by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. After the meeting, I was invited to visit the TAFM cultural center where I had the chance to go on a tour of the facility.
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| His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama will be keynote speaker March 1 at the Nobel Peace Prize Forum. Get tickets at: http://nobelpeaceprizeforum.org |
Children from kindergarten through eighth grade spend Saturdays at the center learning about the culture of their people, language, traditional dance, and more. It was fun to see all the very young kids elbowing one another, giggling, pointing at me, and waving to me, the stranger in their midst. I learned that Minnesota has the second largest population in the nation of Tibetan-American citizens. I felt honored to visit the center, to see all the kids side by side studying and speaking Tibetan, and to have spent a couple hours this morning with members of the community.
Thankful: February 1, 2014 --It was a hard choice today on what to name my "favorite." It's a good problem to have, especially since it only is 5:25 p.m. Maybe by the time my head hits the pillow tonight there will be something that bumps my current "favorite and thankful" aside. I find myself, however, thankful for the community of firefighters and their families who have welcomed my partner, a transplant to the Twin Cities from west central Minnesota.
We today attended the "Guns and Hoses" fundraiser at a neighborhood bar that donated 10 percent of profits today to the fire department and Special Olympics. The event included a chicken wing eating contest between members of the city fire department and police department (PoPo won, but all had fun and laughed much). I watched my partner interact with his colleagues. I visited with some of the family members I'm starting to get to know.
It struck me that many of the families have been connected for decades. Their children have grown together. They've attended graduations, weddings, and funerals together. They spend their free time together at area restaurants that have supported the fire department. It is a tight-knit community that has pulled in my partner and I, and for that, I'm more than thankful.
Today, I've spent time with new acquaintances and new friends. I'm looking forward to the day when we become "old friends."
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