Ep. 41: This, Our Daily Bread

Olivia Luz, our little princess was born two weeks ago tomorrow.
She is merely one of my many daily blessings.

Lately, almost all of my one hour of "free" time has been spent playing semi-mindless WWF during my daily commute to work.

I'd word-whittle my time away on the return trip too, but these days I'm almost always the guy with a little drool sliding down the side of my snore-hole.

The first true love of my life, writing, has had to take a back seat to juggling two babies, a manor-of-a-home, a happy marriage, a blended family made of rambunctious boys, and my evolving 9-to-5 (i.e., there is no such thing as job security anymore, adapt to the culture of "constant improvement" and reorgs, or - be ready to fill that cardboard box).

I'm writing now because this catharsis is long overdue. No complaints apart from the fact that I don't have time to pen my thoughts, share my observations and express my appreciation for all the wonderful little things that fulfill my days.

As I told Margarita yesterday whilst shoveling in my last scoop of her heavenly Posole, "As veces, estoy en la oficina y me pregunto 'Porque estoy aquí?' Entonces regreso a casa, a mi familia y cenas maravillosas como esta-y recuerdo."

"Sometimes, I'm in the office and I ask myself 'Why am I here?' Then I return to my home and family, and wonderful meals like this and I remember."

Ep. 40: Eureka all over again

Milo and I went for a walk around the block early Saturday morning, while the whole hood seemed to still be in bed. During our stroll he reminded me of an invaluable lesson: less is more.

It is a lesson I've been learning all my life, one which I must be reminded of all too often.

For I've learned that much of the stress and anxiety we contend with in life is simply a consequence of pursuing more and ending up with less.

At first glance, our routine struggles may seem purely in the name of something better, when most often we are merely maintaining the status quo.

However, if we dig beneath the surface often you'll find a disconnect between our pursuit of luxury and a basic foundation for happiness.

Most of us have far more than we really need to be happy. Much of our limited time is wasted either simply storing stuff for nothing, never to be used again, or in the vacuous pursuit of being entertained; when with very little effort we can either entertain ourselves, or better yet, each other.

That's what Milo reminded me of when we took our little stroll about the block. Every walkway was a detour; every driveway was a beginning to a new adventure.

The treasures we found along the way were precious, the value of each piece punctuated with a genuine quizzical inspection and a declaration of pure elation and discovery, as if every infantile "Unh!" was Eureka all over again.

Our trove was priceless and included a flower, one dead and shriveled-up worm, un palito, three rocks, a Popsicle stick, a loose wad of dried grass and a whole lot of curiosity and appreciation for the little things.

Ep. 23: The Little Things

Some 40 or so years ago, I was a little boy in a bathtub 

who loved using his little Snoopy foam bath mitt.

Tuesday, April 15, 2013

(The Peekskill Commuter is being broadcast from New York City all week long)

By six and our arrival to 110th, a certain lethargy has overcome me.

I am desperate for either a nap or a 50 cent cup of coffee at the G&M bodega on the corner.

Since Milo will likely be eager to play ball as soon as I walk in the door, I'll have to take that coffee - a little milk, one sugar please; stirred, not shaken.

Making myself a dry and dirty martini might be nice too, but not very conducive to active engagement with a toddler who is overjoyed to see his Papa return home.

Seeing Milo smile, hearing him laugh, feeling his resigned embrace as he falls asleep on my shoulder, these are the tiny pleasures that I truly live for.

In addition to the joy that my children give me, there are many minor things that make a big difference.

For instance, today I received an order from Amazon of 40 bars of miniature Neutrogena french milled soap. We are going to use them as courtesy bars whenever guests stay in our apartment. I purchased this particular brand and scent because it reminds me of my childhood.

Some 40 or so years ago, I was a little boy in a bathtub who loved using his little Snoopy foam bath mitt and the french milled soap that came with it. The innocent pleasure of an unhurried bubble bath and the smell of this soap are inextricably bonded forever in my memory.

Thus, since the day I rediscovered this soap at a long forgotten hotel we stayed in during some vacation, I have forever been on a mission to find it again.

Two nights ago, via pure serendipity, I found it and immediately ordered enough for me to share the wealth with those we welcome into our home.

Tonight, while we took a bubble bath together, I took a bar and shared the scent with Milo. He sniffed at the box and crinkled his nose and smiled. Seeing his reaction, combined with the fragrance that triggered an indulgent exorcism of this 40-year-old scent from the deepest synaptic recesses of my life, reminded me that it is indeed the little things that count..

Bubble baths with Snoopy and this soap 

are inextricably bonded forever in my memory.