Welcome to day 18 of the 9:09 is Nurture Time Challenge!
Today we’re going to take a few minutes to feel gratitude for the companions we have in our lives.
Good friends keep us healthy and thriving.
In gardening there is an idea called companion planting. You place certain vegetables, flowers or herbs next to each other in order to support their growth and deter pests. Quick fun fact – did you know if you plant dill next to cabbage it improves the flavor of the cabbage? [Hey, did you just think it’s a stretch to believe anything can make cabbage taste good?]
Anyway, it’s not a stretch to believe that friends can enhance your life, help you grow and thrive. However, we can get sidetracked by our addiction to busy-ness (if this still applies to you, be sure to check out the reflection on days 14 and 15!). Or we can get wrapped up in our families, work routines or other priorities.
Today, we’ll just pause to remind ourselves how blessed we are to have wonderful companions accompanying us in life.
Ready to begin?
First, pause for this moment and totally focus on yourself. Close your eyes. Let all the distractions fall away. Breathe in. Breathe out. Take a moment to feel supported by friendship. Visualize the face of a friend who has kept you healthy or helped you thrive, or done both. Feel the love of that friendship. Smile.
Center in on this thought: I am blessed with the love of friendship.
Give yourself a hug, a round of applause and a pat on the back. You’ve taken time to nurture yourself and to bless someone else with your kind thoughts.
If you want to feel even better, take a moment to send your friend a quick note of thanks. This is something you can do if you’re ever feeling lonely, or a little down. It’s amazing how quickly you can feel better when you pause to say thanks.
It’s almost as amazing as how that cabbage tastes after you plant dill next to it. Just kidding. I’ve never knowingly tasted cabbage next to dill. But I’m going to try it this summer.
That’s it for today. Sending you blessings on blessings and big hugs. And I look forward to tomorrow with you, same time, for day nineteen of 9:09 is nurture time.