To Make My Bed

To make my bed: 

it's become important for me to have a structured morning, a routine, performing a few rituals to begin my day in what feels like a proper order. Mostly, it's still loose and relaxed, no demands made, and it's all things that seem to benefit me in what I feel are meaningful ways. Of course the first thing I do is make my bed, not perfectly so, and honestly I ignored this for years even as I read testaments to this one simple act upon waking. Former military members swear that it's key for a high performance lifestyle and that's probably true, sending a message to the nervous system that the day begins with action and commitment. That's one reason I now make my bed, the other, and most important to me - my cat spends much of the day sleeping on my bed and seems to much prefer it this way. She is more at ease and in obvious comfort when I take the time to make my bed, stretched fully to show her appreciation. 

so for me...it's just a small ritual of kindness. 

a perfect beginning for the day. 

as well it's a perfect Zen metaphor, that some hours later the bed will be welcoming in its order and through a night of twisting and turning will again be completely unmade, ready for the mindful action of my commitment to begin another day. This is yoga for me, a sun salutation to welcome light and recognize that yesterday is truly behind. To make my bed signifies that all actions take place now, it's this instant that matters most deeply, indeed, it's the only moment of existence - it's this small ritual, perhaps as important as my morning meditation, that brings me to the present, ready to embrace the day as it unfolds in such proceeding moments as this one, each being equal in the weight of my attention. 

so for me...it's the yoga of deliberate motion.

a perfect moment of awareness. 

To make my bed is just a small thing to do, maybe with no real consequence to the reality of my day. But through it's ritual, and really with so little effort made - I am committed to the kindness of another, to my own practice of being mindful of a particular action, and simply performing an early morning task with no small amount of joy. 

a perfect beginning for the day. 

~

Peace, Eric