Donno How

There is one caveat in getting simple: I don't know how.

So, to start, I am going to induce a routine in my days every day of a week and examine the result.

This week, I am going to sit in my car upon arrival at home, and breathe in and out from belly for 2 minutes.  My goal is to see how it helps with releasing stress and may be have some cleansing effect or some sort of resetting before getting home and facing my kids.

PS: Happy Nowruz!  Happy Spring!

Time to Get Simple Again

Life was two sets of school uniforms, a bunch of books and notebooks on the bookshelf, a drawer full of cassettes, and a few poetry books and post its of favorite verses.  That was my high school.  I used to be free.  Looking into the future.  Living every day.  Seeing every leaf.  Watching each step.  Remembering the Friend.

Everything had a place in my room.  I was a free girl, laughing, crying, marveling in each friend and every friendship, chatting openly with my mother and father.  I used to enjoy the simple pleasures.  I didn't try to please anyone yet I was confident most were pleased with me.

Time to get back to it.

I feel stressed and overwhelmed.  I feel too much pressure at work especially from people; the single thing that is 100% out of my hands.  I feel the MBA coursework that I have just started is breaking my back.  I feel behind on house chores.  I feel that the thoughts of people's opinion of me have cluttered my head, darkened my brain, burdened my heart.

It is time to get simple again.

I am going to, from this moment on, stop trying to please everyone, especially at work.

Work is my game now.  I am not here to stay, I am here to learn.

I am going to enjoy the simple pleasures.

And I am going to stand tall and believe in me; same way Molly Lou Melon's grandma advised her.

Water Fruit Fingers Palm

One of the most satisfying chores while preparing for beloved guests to arrive is washing fruits and vegetables.

There is music in the background.  A mix of the familiar old songs by Ebi, Dariush, Koorosh Yaghmaii, Farhad, and the newer songs filling the air.  The sink is washed, disinfected, watered down, soap cleaned one last time and there goes the grapes, apples, carrots, sage, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers (both Persian and English, for different purposes), cauliflowers, oranges, limes, tangerines, sweet lemons, turnip, and the beautiful pomegranate.  They enter the water filled sink in groups based on the method of consumptions.  First, those whose skins will be consumed, then the ones that will be skinned but haven't touched the earth, and finally the roots.  Go in my hands at last, grabbing each single piece of vegetable or fruit, scrubbing the soaked items, feeling their skin.  Occasionally basking in their infused aroma, mixed, strong.  Their smell visible through their colors.

Now all the cleaned items are aired to dry out.  Awaiting their destiny to may be become human for a change.