Why did it not feel like I worked yesterday? I was up at the crack of dawn thanks to my industrious and conscientious husband. I followed my morning rituals with great haste, stumbled out the door in my typical drunken morning haze with my briefcase, lunches, and photo shoot kit. I was already mentally navigating my day. Strategic insight, foresight, side sight and all the in-between sightings of any potential road blocks or unexpected curved balls. I had to drop my daughter off at school, drop my husband and two dogs off at the office without drawing too much attention from any passerby or the bylaw officer while lugging a massive dog bed the size of a small planet for our visiting boxer up a long flight of stairs. I hurried back to our temporarily illegally parked car but could not find the keys. I take a huge risk and leave the now unlocked and illegally parked car unattended and run up the never ending flight of stairs to our office. My dapper husband in his purple overcoat meets me at the landing and is totally oblivious that somehow he had removed the car keys and hidden them in his super fine coat. How could I be irritated with such a picture of man and boy as he excitedly discusses how he plans to keep "the boys" (the boston and his pal the boxer) busy today. I stick out my hand and instinctively he reaches in his magnificent coat and hands me the keys sheepishly.
I am off to the races ... I mean my photo shoot seriously perturbed about having to interrupt my day to get pictures taken for advertising and promotion. I am about 5 minutes out of town when I realized that I did not have my change of clothes. Biting down on my bottom lip I did a legal u turn ... I think and head back home. I stumble up the stairs grab the clothes hung on fancy slip proof hangers and stumble down the stairs into my car, still staggering on my inability to catch up with my morning. I have an hour to regroup before I meet the photographer. I arrive safely apart from being a bit rain soaked. Immediately I am aware of the location, struck by the charm and historic value of the building. I meet my enthusiastic photographer who had many creative ideas that we incorporated into our session including one moment when she risked drowning and water logging her camera to go outside and take a shot of me through the window pane. The last plan was for me to change and step outside for a fun pic with a shawl and umbrella. Before we left Danielle offered me red lipstick and a brush.
As I started applying the red lipstick I realized that it has been years since I had used red lipstick. So much of my life has been a blur these past years and I have felt like a hamster on a wheel. I typically apply lip gloss on the go and sometimes even forget to these days. Putting on the red lip stick reminded me of the importance of adding a pop of colour into my fast becoming "neutral" world of mundaneness (this word was created today to describe my feelings ). Even though nothing had changed, in essence EVERYTHING had changed my energy and attitude changed. I was able take a moment and be present with myself and enjoy a cup of coffee with a new friend at this magical spot in Trail, British Columbia without feeling the need to rush to that next thing. It was exhilarating to disconnect from the To Dos in my head and actually taste what I was drinking as I smiled at the bright red stain left behind on the stark white coffee mug.
Give yourself that gift of being present with yourself today. Go and get yourself a stick of bright red lipstick or whatever else will remind you of slower and more meaningful days, and connect with yourself first. To the degree we connect with ourselves to that degree we are able to connect with others .... all that from a stick of red lipstick - go colour your world :)
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