Mindful Miles

It was a classic, rainy December day, and as I picked the girls up from school, we managed to catch our bus right on time. They rushed up the steps and immediately claimed their favorite seats.

The windows were covered in so much mist we could hardly see where we were going—I figured we’d have to rely on pure instinct to get off at the right stop! 😂

With the outside world completely shut out by this cozy, foggy curtain, my girls instantly made the most of the inside world, scribbling away on the misty windows.

My youngest proudly presented her artwork: “Look, Mum,” she said, “it’s a sack!” A sack of what? I asked, grinning. She gasped, “Oh!” and quickly drew some circles on it. I immediately thought, Gold coins! until she excitedly announced: “It’s a sack of berries!”

Playfully, I let my shoulders drop. “Why are you sad, Mum?” she asked. “I thought it was a bag of money,” I replied, deflated.

“Oh, Mum, don’t worry,” said my older one, who quickly leaned over and drew another sack—a smaller one, since the sack of berries had taken up most of the prime real estate. 😉 And on that one, she put the famous dollar sign.

I gave the broadest, playful smile my face could handle and said, “Yes! I like this sack better, although it’s smaller.” They both chuckled, laughed, and simultaneously chorused, “Mummy!”

And there, on a misty bus, was the most important life lesson for our December Mindful Miles. As adults, we often spend our energy looking for that big win, the perfect gift, the flawless event—the Dollar Sign Sack.

But the true, unforgettable cheer of the season—the moments that warm our hearts and make us genuinely smile—are almost always found in the Sack of Berries.

It’s in the laughter shared on a foggy bus, the creative abandon of a child, the sight of festive lights, or the kindness of a stranger. This is the simple abundance and clarity that mindfulness brings.

May December bring you the affirmation to see that the richness is already here, and that these small moments are the most valuable fortune of all.