Five Minutes

I took five minutes longer in the shower this evening. Five minutes to think of nothing but the drops of water trickling down my back, my eyelashes and my chin. I sat down and allowed myself to breathe deeply, pushing all other thoughts out, only focusing on the sound of the water hitting the sides of the tub.  

It has been a challenging start to the school year but at that moment, I was not caught up in my own ideas and thought processes.   At that moment, I did not self- judge; I did not question decisions made or paths taken. I only allowed those thoughts to trickle through unattended just as the drops of water dripped from the shower head onto mine and then ran towards the drain. The inner critic switch was turned off and I was determined to have inner peace for five fruitful minutes. I ignored the nagging negative thoughts that came knocking, resolved to make their way through to my inner mind. I thought only about the drops of water and that in 5 days, I would be joining my sister to discover Ethiopia and its wonders. I felt at ease at last.

And after that five-minute eternity of not allowing one single negative thought to infiltrate my being, I drew the shower curtain and was instantly hit with the reality of my life… “Dang it… I forgot the towel again!”