I still can't believe this!
Yesterday my husband and I had our son's school conference and I did the same thing I do every year.
Earlier in the day, I messaged his teacher to ask if I could bring her a coffee or tea. I figured by 1pm, after a dozen meetings with parents, she might appreciate a little fuel 😉.
She enthusiastically requested a coffee with cream.
When we arrived, bearing the gift of caffeine, she looked at me and said;
"I have been teaching for 20 years and no parent has ever asked if they could bring me a coffee during conference."
I was shocked! How is that possible?
I don't share this to showcase my thoughtfulness, I share this because I truly am surprised that more people might not be thinking of teachers and members of their village in this way.
As you can guess, I thank my mindfulness practice (and my parents) for my ability to actively express gratitude and generosity in my moment to moment experiences and relationships.
Gratitude and generosity are foundational attributes of mindfulness.
Sure, many of us know the scientific evidence that a dedicated gratitude practice can enhance our wellbeing (this video from Headspace illustrates this skillfully). Yet, what's beautiful is that the more grateful we are, the more generous we are able to be, to ourselves and to others.
As we stand at the threshold of the holiday season, and the discount retail bonanza around gift giving, I invite you to consider who and what you are most grateful for, and what an act of thoughtful generosity could look like.
It might just be bringing someone an unexpected cup of coffee, or you could:
Send a postcard to a long-distance friend with an inside joke that will make them laugh
Anonymously leave a Mister Rogers' ornament in your neighbors mailbox
Ask the checkout cashier how they are holding up with the seasonal busyness
Buy a bouquet of flowers and split it in two; one for your home and one to give as a gift to someone special. You both get to gaze at the same floral arrangement and think of each other.
What could your holiday season look like if you got the most curious about your family, friends and neighbors and let your gratitude and generosity lead the way?
ps: about that conference for my son, the best thing we heard is that he takes pride in his work, he is friendly and kind to all his classmates and thanks his teacher often. i can't remember one detail his teacher shared about test scores or benchmarks, and frankly, i could care less.
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