Yes, I feel like the universe gives us lots of reminders to be present. This year, I've been trying to be attuned to them. I'm sure I still miss tons of them :) But what a world of a difference it has made in my everyday life!
Oh, mole sauce is perhaps my most favorite sauce. It is an incredibly rich, nuanced, and flavorful Mexican sauce. It has a delightful velvety flavor to it. There are different kinds, some are smokier, some are sweeter. They are made with lots of pepper and yet they aren't overly spicy. They just make my mouth explode with flavor!
Okay, Alex, WHEN WAS YOUR BIRTHDAY?! Happy belated!
Second, yes, please to the beignet! If I didn't need to avoid gluten and dairy, I'd be all up in that. It looked FABULOUS.
Also, about time: I think about this a lot. I like your perspective about slowing time down. I think this can actually be done, because we experience time in our minds. What occurred to me as I read this was what my spiritual director once told me about the difference between kairos and kronos time: kairos being the subjective/qualitative experience of time, while kronos is the chronological "clock time" that tends to rule our days.
I am choosing more of kairos, which means, yes, a slowing or stopping of time in micro-moments. It's interesting what happens when I savor the quiet invitations to enter into this space and time, which I remember I will never experience again.
Haha it was Saturday! And thank you! I can do gluten free and dairy free, so sometime we will have to do them 🩵
I love what your spiritual director brought forward on kairos and kronos time. I think it is a choice, and I’m glad you are choosing more kairos. As am I. We always talk about how time seems to move faster as we age. I think that is because we spend less time in the present.
What you say about presence and memory very much resonates with my thinking these days. Sadly, I only began to realise this much later in life.
The universe keeps tapping us on the shoulder, giving us signposts, or arranging a full blown crisis to bring us into the present, that is until we get it. Then it's little reminders..
such as this post, thankyou 🙏
I'm from the UK, by the way, what is Mole sauce? Happy birthday 🥳
Happy Belated Birthday! I love how you combined really heady ideas with such everyday (or at least birthday) experiences. It really is amazing to think of how time folds in on itself in so many ways. I'm definitely going to apply the idea of allowing the present to develop more fully so that it shows up differently later on. It reminds me of the old days of developing film in a dark room and taking care not to pull it out of the solution too soon. Love that!
That's cool Alex I enjoyed this. It articulates, far better than I, why I am saddened when people spend entire concerts or experiences filming and photographing the entire thing... instead of... you know... living it!
I love this...especially the moment of the present moment when biting into something. My sister goes someplace when eating certain things and I always wonder where she goes...I think it's me traveling and she's rooted in the moment.
So beautifully written, Alex. You make the present so delicious, but as you say, it's not a frozen state. You've reminded me of what's called the Fourth Time in Dzogchen, a teaching in Tibetan Buddhism. Dzogchen refers to the non-conceptual state of awareness, meaning without thoughts of the past, present, or future, as the “fourth time.” It’s traditionally explained as the 'forth time devoid of three,' referring to past, present, and future.
Oh, that truly is a perfect connection! I wasn’t even thinking about fourth time, and it is interesting, because you bringing that here helps me better understand that concept. Thank you for teaching me just a bit more! 🩵
true to form, your end of post selfie always makes me smile. this time it made me giggle too. I got so caught up in reading your post that I burned my air-frying eggplant chips. Being present in one thing often means being not-present in something else. And I'm okay with that.
Your beignets remind me of the first time I truly enjoyed sushi. I was visiting a friend in Boston, and he walked me down the street to his favorite sushi joint. It wasn't about the sushi, but about the sushi-chef and his full presence with the process. We were the only ones in the place. He talked us through everything he was doing, explained the energy he was putting into the fish, the reasons he used the knife the certain ways, and the love he infused in the tender tweezer placing of the garnishes. He explained to us, course by course, what was happening on our tongues and in our mouths and why he chose to serve us the pieces in the order he did. It was amazing. And this was him in his first year of sushi-cheffing!
for my birthday this year, we are going on a road trip, back to Boston. Where I will sit at his sushi counter once again. fifteen years later. AFter he has trained with the top chefs of Boston and New York and built his own little shop on the coast of Gloucester. I can't wait for the timelessness and presence of that memory that is already blending then, now, and yet-to-be in my mind.
Wow - what a story! Thanks for sharing. That is such an experience. I love when people truly care about what they are doing, and then invite people into that experience. It is almost intoxicating.
I love that you are going to go back all these years later and have that experience again. When we allow ourselves to be fully present, I think that is what I mean by time folding in on itself. We feel so connected to memories past, along with the present, all together. It’s truly beautiful.
If I missed your birthday..then HAPPY BIRTHDAY! So happy to know you were born! Best gift we could have gotten….you! Hoping you had fun! Thank you for the stories! 🎂❤️🌼
Your exploration of how full attention can alter our perception of time is both insightful and relatable. The connection between savoring a beignet and the elasticity of time beautifully illustrates the power of presence. Your reflections encourage readers to embrace mindfulness, revealing how it enriches our experiences and memories.
Happy Belated Birthday! I know the exact feeling you described so well. That of time stretching and finding other memories on that continuum. My practice and habit are to seek out and look for the "perfect" moments as I reflect on my day. At times I'm unaware that I'm experiencing one until I get that feeling. That time stretch. Then it's etched in my memory for as long as I can remember. Which gets harder as you age, but I'm still remembering. I have so many of those moment. Being in them is as important as remembering them later. Thank you for this. Love, Virg
Thank you, Jules!
Yes, I feel like the universe gives us lots of reminders to be present. This year, I've been trying to be attuned to them. I'm sure I still miss tons of them :) But what a world of a difference it has made in my everyday life!
Oh, mole sauce is perhaps my most favorite sauce. It is an incredibly rich, nuanced, and flavorful Mexican sauce. It has a delightful velvety flavor to it. There are different kinds, some are smokier, some are sweeter. They are made with lots of pepper and yet they aren't overly spicy. They just make my mouth explode with flavor!
Okay, Alex, WHEN WAS YOUR BIRTHDAY?! Happy belated!
Second, yes, please to the beignet! If I didn't need to avoid gluten and dairy, I'd be all up in that. It looked FABULOUS.
Also, about time: I think about this a lot. I like your perspective about slowing time down. I think this can actually be done, because we experience time in our minds. What occurred to me as I read this was what my spiritual director once told me about the difference between kairos and kronos time: kairos being the subjective/qualitative experience of time, while kronos is the chronological "clock time" that tends to rule our days.
I am choosing more of kairos, which means, yes, a slowing or stopping of time in micro-moments. It's interesting what happens when I savor the quiet invitations to enter into this space and time, which I remember I will never experience again.
Haha it was Saturday! And thank you! I can do gluten free and dairy free, so sometime we will have to do them 🩵
I love what your spiritual director brought forward on kairos and kronos time. I think it is a choice, and I’m glad you are choosing more kairos. As am I. We always talk about how time seems to move faster as we age. I think that is because we spend less time in the present.
That seems true, Alex—the older I get, the more administrative tasks seem to pile up that draw me away from the present moment.
So…March 22 was your birthday? You and Sarah are birthday buddies! Her birthday was the 16th (as you might already know).
YES! March birthday buddies. The ABSOLUTE best 🩵
I was a month early - and I definitely prefer being an aries ♈️
Aw. :)
What you say about presence and memory very much resonates with my thinking these days. Sadly, I only began to realise this much later in life.
The universe keeps tapping us on the shoulder, giving us signposts, or arranging a full blown crisis to bring us into the present, that is until we get it. Then it's little reminders..
such as this post, thankyou 🙏
I'm from the UK, by the way, what is Mole sauce? Happy birthday 🥳
Happy Belated Birthday! I love how you combined really heady ideas with such everyday (or at least birthday) experiences. It really is amazing to think of how time folds in on itself in so many ways. I'm definitely going to apply the idea of allowing the present to develop more fully so that it shows up differently later on. It reminds me of the old days of developing film in a dark room and taking care not to pull it out of the solution too soon. Love that!
Thank you, my friend! This was a fun article to write, because it was a fun article to simply remember because I had such a great birthday!
I love your reference to the dark room and developing film. I think that is such a perfect fit!
That's cool Alex I enjoyed this. It articulates, far better than I, why I am saddened when people spend entire concerts or experiences filming and photographing the entire thing... instead of... you know... living it!
We have very few photos of my birthday day. And I am so glad! It was a day of truly living my life and I was so enthralled in my life.
I love this...especially the moment of the present moment when biting into something. My sister goes someplace when eating certain things and I always wonder where she goes...I think it's me traveling and she's rooted in the moment.
Who knows! I think we are all time travelers! They say the brain is a quantum instrument, so… who knows nowadays! Thank you for reading and sharing 🩵
So beautifully written, Alex. You make the present so delicious, but as you say, it's not a frozen state. You've reminded me of what's called the Fourth Time in Dzogchen, a teaching in Tibetan Buddhism. Dzogchen refers to the non-conceptual state of awareness, meaning without thoughts of the past, present, or future, as the “fourth time.” It’s traditionally explained as the 'forth time devoid of three,' referring to past, present, and future.
Oh, that truly is a perfect connection! I wasn’t even thinking about fourth time, and it is interesting, because you bringing that here helps me better understand that concept. Thank you for teaching me just a bit more! 🩵
Happy belated birthday Alexander!
I will carry the image of birthday memories folding in on themselves like origami. I just love this.
Thank you, Teyani! I so appreciate you. 🩵
true to form, your end of post selfie always makes me smile. this time it made me giggle too. I got so caught up in reading your post that I burned my air-frying eggplant chips. Being present in one thing often means being not-present in something else. And I'm okay with that.
Your beignets remind me of the first time I truly enjoyed sushi. I was visiting a friend in Boston, and he walked me down the street to his favorite sushi joint. It wasn't about the sushi, but about the sushi-chef and his full presence with the process. We were the only ones in the place. He talked us through everything he was doing, explained the energy he was putting into the fish, the reasons he used the knife the certain ways, and the love he infused in the tender tweezer placing of the garnishes. He explained to us, course by course, what was happening on our tongues and in our mouths and why he chose to serve us the pieces in the order he did. It was amazing. And this was him in his first year of sushi-cheffing!
for my birthday this year, we are going on a road trip, back to Boston. Where I will sit at his sushi counter once again. fifteen years later. AFter he has trained with the top chefs of Boston and New York and built his own little shop on the coast of Gloucester. I can't wait for the timelessness and presence of that memory that is already blending then, now, and yet-to-be in my mind.
OH NO - not the eggplant chips! I’m sorry :(
Wow - what a story! Thanks for sharing. That is such an experience. I love when people truly care about what they are doing, and then invite people into that experience. It is almost intoxicating.
I love that you are going to go back all these years later and have that experience again. When we allow ourselves to be fully present, I think that is what I mean by time folding in on itself. We feel so connected to memories past, along with the present, all together. It’s truly beautiful.
If I missed your birthday..then HAPPY BIRTHDAY! So happy to know you were born! Best gift we could have gotten….you! Hoping you had fun! Thank you for the stories! 🎂❤️🌼
Oh thank you my friend! I truly appreciate you 🩵
Happy belated birthday Alex! Thank you for this thought-provoking read!
Thank you, Nancy! I appreciate the birthday wishes and thank you for reading!!
I've experienced being fully present, and it does bend time! Love that last photo, Dr. A!
Hahaha! A little bit of a different side to me, in each and every post 😂
A beignet vignette?
From moments to memories.
Birthdays, best buds, being.
Such a beautiful response and musing, Marisol. Thank you for sharing it with all of us 🩵
Happy belated Birthday Alex !!
As always your words speak straight to my heart….we get you 💝
Your exploration of how full attention can alter our perception of time is both insightful and relatable. The connection between savoring a beignet and the elasticity of time beautifully illustrates the power of presence. Your reflections encourage readers to embrace mindfulness, revealing how it enriches our experiences and memories.
Happy Belated Birthday! I know the exact feeling you described so well. That of time stretching and finding other memories on that continuum. My practice and habit are to seek out and look for the "perfect" moments as I reflect on my day. At times I'm unaware that I'm experiencing one until I get that feeling. That time stretch. Then it's etched in my memory for as long as I can remember. Which gets harder as you age, but I'm still remembering. I have so many of those moment. Being in them is as important as remembering them later. Thank you for this. Love, Virg