Living a writerly life means noticing the small things, the things others would miss, and writing about them. I am a creature of habit. Every morning I wake up and eat a bowl of cheerios with milk. Satisfying. Eating my breakfast out of my favorite bowl makes it sweeter.

                  

What is it about a specific bowl? The yellow color makes me smile. The bowl is a perfect shape. It holds just the right amount of cereal. It’s sturdy and it does it’s job well. It fits. Just the right size…not too big, not too small, like Goldilocks. My perfect bowl.

This reminded me of a book I read twenty years ago…Everyday Sacred. My memory of this book reminds me to find the miraculous in the ordinary. I remember that the bowl represents us, me. I am the bowl. It’s about stopping. Noticing. It’s about gratitude. Nourishment. (This is a twenty year old memory of this book, so I may be completely wrong with the details, but these are the memories I carry with me. I’ll be rereading this book soon.)

A bowl. My bowl. When I see that it’s clean and waiting for my breakfast, I feel special. I smile. A perfect start to the day, like getting green lights on the drive into work.

Life is about the small moments. Noticing them. Appreciating them. Allowing those moments to nourish us and become part of who we are. I’ve been noticing my favorite yellow bowl for months now. This story has been floating around in my head. What makes me a writer is today I sat down and shared that story with you.

Look at your bowl of cereal or your mug of coffee. What do you see? Nourishment. Joy. Tiny miracles…

My favorite coffee mug