"Wrong-footed, you know, or as if I had three thumbs on one hand..."

That's about how I feel when I don't do my sitting practice in the morning.

On Friday morning, I woke up late. I had neglected to set up my coffee maker (on a timer) the night before, so I rushed through the process of setting that up, and just as quickly rushed around trying to dress, do my hair and make up, and get my things together for the school day.

With "no time" for meditation, I darted back into the kitchen to grab a cup of joe, and wouldn't you know it - I had forgotten to empty the carafe out from the day before and there was coffee all over my counter! The time it would have taken me to just sit, even for five minutes, would have been worth nixing the coffee. Had I done so, I would have had a bit more peace of mind, and would not have had to clean up a mess that was all due to the fact that my mindfulness had gone out the window, or out the door, and probably somewhere far down the street!

I had to simply laugh at myself. "Really, Nicky? How many times will it take for you to get that starting your day off with meditation - even a shortened practice - renders better results than no practice at all." Hmmm...

In my Language Arts class we are just finishing up Lloyd Alexander's The Book of Three. It's a wonderful book, filled with rich, juicy characters. Eilonwy (pronounced: ih-lawn-wee), a princess, is one of my favorites. She always says what she thinks and how she feels. She most often uses analogies and similes, and though they are often a bit off-the-wall, they tickle me because they are also so right on.

When she first meets Taran, the story's protagonist, Eilonwy asks him his name and then explains, "It makes me feel funny not knowing someone's name. Wrong-footed, you know, or as if I had three thumbs on one hand, if you see what I mean. It's clumsy..." (p. 51). That's preciscely how I feel when I don't attend to my morning meditation. It's a terrific description.

On the other hand, when I attend to my sitting practice on a consistent, daily basis, it does feel like Eilonwy describes in the last chapter of The Book of Three: "You should be glad to be home...It's like remembering where you put something you've been looking for" (p. 184). It feels right. Just like coming home.