“Enjoy the small things in life, for one day you may look back and realise they were the big things.” - Robert Brault

A close friend told me the other day how her 12-year-old old son revealed that the day they had was the best ever. She had taken him for a meal and then to the cinema. I lit up at both his innocence and his joy and it got me thinking about how it’s the small things that later in life become the big things.

I remember as a young boy my dad and I cycled from Cupar street to Glengormley on a quiet Sunday morning. I felt on top of the world being with him, enjoying this special time, quality time.

Almost 60 years later, I clearly remember every part of the journey, our conversation and taking in the trip inch by inch, second by second. I can still recall that Sunday morning as though it were yesterday.

But to appreciate the small things we have to pause now and again.

Rest is so important for us and even more so as we transition out of the pandemic and return to a new normal. A new normal that can allow us to reset ourselves with time to rest, time to take in the magic moments of the here and now.

Indeed, one of the key areas of mindfulness is rest. Rest is something that we are not very good at as we run around from pillar to post, sometimes ending up chasing our tails. And, of course, we miss out on the many small things each day bestows on us and the precious memories that they can become as we rest and reflect on our day.

I put this into practice only yesterday when I was with a friend in Dublin—he too is a mindfulness practitioner and we took time to rest as we sat in silence on a bench in St. Stephen’s Green, taking in the view and the sounds of the birds.

I was filled with a sense of laughter as I watched a young seagull beg for food from two young women sitting on the next bench eating chips. If ever I saw patience being demonstrated, that young gull had it. He stood still with his eyes speaking: "hey, guys, let’s share the chips".

A young boy of about three walked by dressed in some exotic cultural attire and I watched as he played on the grassy slope of the beautiful flower beds. You could see within him a sense of wonder as he gazed at a flower.

I was also taken in by Christine the 13-year-old mare that was taking visitors on a tour of Dublin City. Her owner told me that Christine knew the streets of Dublin on her own and her steady pace allowed passengers time to take in the fair city.

Rest is so important for us and even more so as we transition out of the pandemic and return to a new normal. A new normal that can allow us to reset ourselves with time to rest, time to take in the magic moments of the here and now.

To open our eyes and our hearts to what is happening all around us and within us at this moment. To be able to pause and come to our senses and appreciate what we see right now. For those of us who are blessed with the gift of sight, to take in the colours that pixelate our view. The gift of sound—in Zen we are taught to listen to the sound of no sound, pause for a moment and listen. The gift of smell—in St. Stephen’s Green yesterday the air was filled with a host of fragrances, from the perfume of the flowers to the fragrance of scent that was worn by strangers as they walked by. Touch—sense your seat as it supports your body and notice the points of contact as you rest in this moment.

Taste—bring your attention to your taste buds and notice how just by doing this, our taste buds can salivate.

As part of my recovery as a recovering thinker, I practice the acronym SOBER

S, stands for stop and rest for a moment.
O, observe what’s happening right now.
B, breathe, yes just take a moment to breathe.
E, engage with your body, sense your body.
R, respond to this precious moment that has never happened before

As a child one of the first songs that I loved and learned to sing was ‘Magic Moments’ by Perry Como, and I know now that our lives our filled with magic moments. So let’s take time as we transition into the new post-pandemic world to create time for ourselves and make magic moments for ourselves and others.