On Waking

Today I woke with hope in my heart.

I woke believing in myself, my life and my mission. I woke believing that the tasks I had to do, I'd be equal to doing. I woke believing that goodness was at the core of humanity. It's a nice way to wake. Breakfast tasted tastier. The bus ride seemed somehow bus-ier. And because I had hope in my heart I noticed things.

The person, who for no good reason, was inexplicably kind to me. Kindness without pity. Kindness without expectation. Simply kind. I really noticed that act of generosity.

The smell of chocolate chip cookies, almost every morning I ride by an enormous bakery, and every morning the smell of cake perfumes the air. This morning, though, they were making chocolate chip cookies. I really noticed the difference in the air. It was crunchy with scent.

The dog who lost control and while his owner looked on horrified he leapt up on to me wanting to plant a big kiss on my cheek. I laughed like a baby as I gave him a hug and scratched his ears. We both ignored her. He, her entreaties to get down. Me, her apologies for a dog gone temporarily mad. What I really noticed was the feel of sun on his fur.

"Walk light is on for all crossings.' That mechanical voice that invites pedestrians to cross the street in any direction. We always time our trips wrongly so that we miss the opportunity to legally jaywalk from one corner to another. But today, we arrived and were welcomed to make 'all crossings'. So, though we were intending to go simply south to north, we crossed from southwest to northeast. And I noticed how much fun it was to change plans for no other reason than 'because'.

Her sunhat, fashionable still, flew in the breeze. She spun her electric wheelchair around, careening around the plants and the benches along the mall's laneway. She laughed as she went by, 'Don't you just love these floors?' she said. And I noticed how good it was to be noticed simply for sharing difference.

I woke with hope in my heart in the morning and my whole day was one of noticing. Noticing that there were little pleasures waiting to be savoured. Hope is like a corrective lens that lets you see the world differently, both in and with sharp relief.