Today I went to several stores to procure supplies for our vacation rental so I saw more people than usual. 

On my way home I was listening to a favorite yogi’s podcast and he brought up “namaste” which is a greeting meaning: the divine in me honors the divine in you. It struck me just a little differently today.

I thought back on all the people I’d seen, and saw them as Divine:

• The friendly woman in the drug store, she was God;

• The woman in the home improvement store who had her mask down on her chin, she was God— did she catch me judging, she says with a wink;

• The older cashier in the face shield who suggested where I might find an additional item, but told me to be sure to use my hand sanitizer in that store. She was God, keeping me safe;

• The happy teen who wished me a nice day, she was God. It was so uplifting to witness her joviality;

• The gentlemen in the giraffe-print mask who told me it was leftover fabric from his and his wife’s first bed skirt, he was a jolly God;

• The woman working feverishly in the takeout restaurant, she was God. What was she doing?!  Why does God do that?  Is she meant to show an example of karma yoga, selfless service? I wondered;

• The people in these cars going by me;

• This person in the white pickup truck who is pulling out in front of me right now. This is an interesting one because I didn’t get so angry when it was God “cutting me off.” I imagined the driver smilingly at me and loving me and seeing if he caught me (not that time, and that is a tough one for me !)

What if everything we go through and everyone we meet is God playfully checking on us by providing opportunities.   What if they’re all God, willing us to grow?

Can you stay centered when someone doesn’t follow the rules?

Can you stay centered when THIS button gets pushed?

How would we ever learn if we never had opportunities to try out responses? You can guess how you might respond by watching others, but until you’re in the situation, you don’t know how you will really react.

Can I remember that I, too, am God?  That’s a good one. I feel much differently about myself when I re-member that, more accepting of me and whatever situation I had been regretting, more in-the-moment, more OKAY with the moment. 

Namaste, I pondered living it for 15 minutes.   Kinda liked it. Maybe tomorrow I’ll go for 20.