My neighborhood is getting more and more popular, and we have active social lives. We get lots of visitors and because of this, parking has been more challenging recently.
A few nights ago I had to park around the corner. As I walked down the street to my house, I could hear music from my neighbor’s house. Their daughters take music lessons and one of them was practicing the piano. It sounded wonderful!
I smiled as I remembered one of my childhood friends who lived across the street and practiced the drums every day. As kids we used sneak over there and listen outside his bedroom window; he became that good. He has been a professional drummer for decades now, and has toured the world with top artists.
I did pause outside my neighbor’s house. I imagined that the only sound in the house during that hour was the sweet sound of the piano. I imagined that everyone else was reading, writing, or quietly spending time together. Knowing them, it was easy to imagine that there was no television or other electronic distractions, just themselves, learning.
I smiled as I thought about what folks might say years later about the girls’ musical achievements, knowing that I bore witness to it as it developed.
I was grateful for having to park and walk that night, because it reminded me of cool, lazy and peaceful evenings I experienced while growing up. I was delighted to know that, in this day and age of technology, there is still live music being played by children in the heart of the hustling and bustling city.
Understand that when you connect with a pleasant memory, smell or sensation from your past, it amplifies and sweetens your present moment. You can open up to experience more memories by saying to yourself, “I am willing to remember any and all of my pleasant memories to give me a smile today.”
As the weather warms and you continue to enjoy Spring and then cross the bridge into Summer, may you too enjoy cool, lazy and peaceful evenings. May you welcome its rejuvenation, and take pause to acknowledge the magic from your past. Breathe it in as deeply as you can, and allow it to inspire you here and now.
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