A Productive Friday Morning

Istiqlál (Independence), 16 Masá’il (Questions), 170 BE - Friday, December 27, 2013 about 10:44 am Pacific Standard Time

It's been a productive Friday morning. I finished the last of the leftover coffee a few minutes ago and, right now, I'm sipping it while composing this entry. I found the canister containing my teabags and wrapped candy, so I placed it next to the coffee maker. I finally reset the clock on the microwave, so now it's close to the actual time on my cellphone.

Things I still have to do. I have to finish setting up the coffee maker for morning by filling the water tank and putting fresh grounds in the basket. I also have to do the morning dishes, but I need to do a room check before I start that because I don't want to find any stray dishes, cups, or flatware when the dishes are washed and sitting clean beside the sink. I also have to do a load of laundry, but I'm going to have to do a room check before I start the machine.

If I wait until starting the washing machine before I do the room check then I end up leaving the lid open through the entire wash cycle and have to run the clothes through again. If I don't do a room check before starting the dishes then I usually end up finding stray flatware or cups in the living room, next to the compute, or sitting beside the coffee maker.

Monday Meditation: Washing Dishes by Hand in Las Vegas

Kamál (Perfection), 17 Jamál (Beauty), 169 BE – Monday, May 14, 2012 about 10:40 AM Pacific Time

There is nothing like washing dishes by hand to focus my mind on the moment. The feel of the hot soapy water on my bare hands is an invigorating experience. I have to scrub clean each dish and then rinse each bowl, cup, plate, or fork. After that, I place them on the drying rack. Through out this process, my mind remains focused on the utensil and nothing else.

After finishing the dishes, I look out my kitchen window. The play of light and shadow appear fresh. The white, pink, and red oleanders seem to glisten in the morning sun. Today, the neighbor’s cat did not walk across the backyard or along the top of fence. However, the birds were singing and the sunshine seemed brighter then usual, perhaps my imagination or just the feeling I get after focusing on one thing for five or ten minutes.

I do not know how long it took me to wash the dish this morning. I did not look at the clock on the microwave. I focused exclusively on getting the dishes clean. Now I know how my Grandmother felt when she washed dishes in the kitchen sink in Blackwell, Oklahoma.