Why Not?

I recently walked by a woman leisurely reading a pop-culture magazine as she gently sat in a white wicker rocker moving slowly back and forward. It was on a particularly hot afternoon during the July heat wave. It wouldn’t have been something to even note except for the fact that this scene took place in an outdoor furniture display area at the supermarket Stop and Shop. Her shopping cart was patiently parked about a foot away in recess from the initial task at hand. The scene caused me to grin and I next stopped to congratulate her on her brilliance. With the heat it made perfect sense to spend some time reading in an air conditioned setting. She explained that as she walked by pushing her groceries the display looked so inviting that she thought, “Why not?” I was inspired by several elements of this scenario. First, that she was able to be so in the moment that she temporarily divorced herself from the task of grocery shopping to indulge in some rest and relaxation. Second, she gave herself something she needed and wanted without stopping with excuses as to why she shouldn’t go forward with it. Third, she didn’t care where she was, who saw her or how it might look. She followed her feelings, took care of herself and reveled in self-care in a way that was with effort, yet effortless. The episode was the ultimate example in the FUN of self-care. Not everything needs to be planned out and orchestrated to the ninth degree. Bravo to being present, indulging in some rest and relaxation and just stopping long enough to be a human being instead of a human doing . After all….why not?!