October 13, 2019 - 30 - "Car Sweet Car"

This is my faithful car.  But this is not where I park.  We don't have covered parking. 
This is me 'princess parking' my car, which means I was running late and
had to pay for parking at the terminal.  But this is the only parked car picture I have.

    After collecting everyone's cootie-cups and kleenex for two or three days straight.  After being yelled at for the weather.  After being berated for not making the bins on the planes larger.  After going to bed late and getting up early a time or two.   After retrieving the last left belongings for the last passengers...

     I finally get my own belongings  together, walk through the frenetic DFW airport, ride the employee bus to the parking lot, (listening to coworkers debriefing whatever crazy thing happened in their days), collect my bags one last time, drag them and myself across the parking lot, wedge my big luggage into my small car, get behind the wheel and...

    Breathe.


     Ahhhhhh....,

     Isn’t the end of a long work day the best?!?

     It almost feels like getting out of school for the summer.  Or out for spring break at the very least.

     More and more I'm figuring out how to keep my meditation practice going throughout the day.  To keep breathing deeply through the stressful moments viewing everything as a chance to learn.

     But, of course, some days are better than others.

     Sometimes when I call Michael from my car he'll say:  "Welcome home!"  and I'll say:  "I'm not home yet.  I just got to my car."  And he says:  "Same thing."

     I'm realizing he's right.  Some days the first time I've really breathed fully is when I get to my car. I roll down the window and feel fresh air on my face.  Sweet.

     I truly do love my job.  And, as I always say, 99% of our passengers are amazing.  But, isn't it wonderful to just be alone with your own thoughts?  Getting to your car is the first chance you get to control your own environment.

     I love that feeling.  I really had the same feeling, only slightly less dramatically, when I was on the nine-to five side of the airlines behind a desk all day.  Different stressors.  Same feeling of relief when I was done for another day.

     For me, time alone is when it's easiest to recharge.  I love playing my own music.  Or not.  Sometimes silence is the best thing I can find to listen to. 

     That feeling when no one needs you.  Nothing is required of you.  There's just silence.  We just don't get enough of this in our all-connection-all-the-time worlds.

     Muscles start to relax.  Heartbeat slows...  Aaaahhhhh.....

     Here's to stepping back from stress and taking it easy for a minute.

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"Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax." 

-Mark Black 

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 "I noticed every time I felt overwhelmed, I would hold my breath.  I had to learn to stop, relax, and take long deep breaths, and within seconds I would feel more clear and ready to deal with the situation in a more loving way." 

-Gisele Bundchen 

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