mindful mornings and porch perceptions

i've recently gotten into the habit of eating breakfast on my porch. first off, when i was apartment hunting i expressly desired a place with a porch, so now i might as well use it (especially now that the weather has warmed up and i actually can!). two, after going to a talk on the mediterranean diet, i learned that there are so many scientifically backed benefits to eating outdoors, or al fresco as the italians call it.

since i've been doing, so i've found so much joy in just noticing the different sounds and witnessing all the movement from my porch view. its not a particularly luscious view, so to speak. my apartment overlooks a big dirt lot, a construction site, and a few townhouse driveways. however, i've been creating little stories in my mind about the recurring 'characters' that i see shuffling about, so i thought i'd list em in a bit of a mindfulness and gratitude exercise here.

my favourite 'characters' are the two outdoor cats that roam around the dirt lot. i can tell they've both got families nearby, because the poised and unbothered gait that they both walk with tells me they haven't had to fend off physical danger too much in their lives, or worry about their next meal. when its rained, i have seen them sip from muddy puddles to take in a bit of the storm's bounty, but generally they just take leisurely strolls. one of them is white with big black spots, the other a grey tabby.

we have a lot of squirrels in canada, a monochrome rainbow of fur all around. when on the west coast, i didn't appreciate how funny it is that we basically have these tree chinchillas that hang out alongside us in symbiosis. i love watching them chase each other like childhood lovers, or make quick escapes from some unknown boogie man from left to right. i love rodents (so long as they aren't trespassing in my home), and to see these aerodynamic gymnast fluffs running around is always special. i think about mark rober's squirrel obstacle course, and how wild it is that the laws of physics are embedded in their instinctual nature.

one thing thats amazing about living on an elevated floor is watching people go about their day, truly behaving unwitnessed. in the early morning, i love to watch parents urging their children, oversized colourful backpacks in tow, to get in the car to head to school. in this moment, i'm certain all these parents intentions are fairly consequential and mundane, but every now and then from above i see a parent just standing, witnessing their children play, looking at them with what i can only hope is a mindful adoration and gratitude for the moment. kids grow up fast, so its rare to get a second where you can sit back and enjoy a moment for its loveliness and fleetingness, and most of all, its mundaneness. i don't ever plan on having kids, but i love to watch parents who love parenting. maybe im supposing a thought process that isn't even there, but all i can do is hope that the parents in my neighborhood take the time to sip in the beauty and privilege of taking their kids to school.

there's so much more to notice on my porch; i always feel a little bit of awe watching the crane at the construction site because it always feels like there is some kind of unfortunate accident waiting to happen, and yet the skilled operator is accutely aware of the many forces and able to calculate the exact speed needed to lift and drop skillfully. my next-door neighbor has a dog who sits on the porch sometimes alone, and i like to think our mindful witnessing is happening together sometimes. even just watching the clouds, the sky, the weather as a character in itself is peaceful and fulfilling. i just love the act of noticing; it is a mindfulness practice that is easier than any meditation, and can be done absolutely anywhere. to sit with my coffee, the sunshine, and the happenings of the day is such a privileged way to start my mornings, and i encourage it to any and all.

the remains of a parfait and my coffee in what i refer to as my 'gluttony mug' because it is just so dang large. it is for big coffee tasks.

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