It is said that to nurture the soul we just need be mindful of the significance of the ordinary.
Our youngest son, who stayed home after classes had been cancelled due to a continuous downpour, embarked on his second attempt at making the perfect leche flan. To the Spanish this dessert is called tocinillo del cielo (little pigs from heaven). To his standards he failed. But the creation is my delight.
The taste buds had something special --- out of the blue. On the surface. Going deeper: it also brings to mind a woman close to the heart. I know a lady who was sought out for the delicious flans she made. One had to order in advance to purchase a batch. She would not share the secret recipe except to say that she just had to be in the right mood for her to be able to whip up the heavenly sweets. The right mood would be one that is relaxed, serene, prayerful. You could tell she was spiritual by the many orders she would accept. Yet no one could force her to cook when she was feeling under the weather -- even if she needed the money. It just would not turn out right.
One could imagine that combining the simple ingredients of egg, milk, and sugar had an element of ritual and the sacred. Almost as if she were a medium for the divine to enter the commonplace of our lives.
"Care of the soul requires ongoing attention to every aspect of life. Essentially it is a cultivation of ordinary things in such a way that soul is nurtured and fostered...If we do not tend the soul consciously and artfully, then its issues remain largely unconscious, uncultivated, and therefore often problematic." -- Thomas MooreNote to self: Be mindful. Listen. Look carefully. No prejudgment. Appreciate.
