Morning

As I lay in bed this morning, slowly awakening I drifted in and out of my mantra, and remembered the evening I went to see Ammachi and received her hug. For quite a few weeks it seemed I was embraced by her, and even more so, embraced by myself and the universe. One big hug inside and out. But like every moment, the vividness disapates with time, and now I struggle to embody that feeling. What occured to me this morning though was again the thought of practice.
Amma said that night, that our souls are like the puppy dogs who wait at home for us all day long, wagging their tales in anticipation of the 5 minutes we spend with them. I took this to heart and have been spending more time with my cat Simon on the weekends when I go home, brushing him and really sitting with him. Coincidentally, Simon has recently gone blind due to hypertension and he's been really needy for about a year now. He's over 15 years old, so he's getting up there in cat years. He's not going to be around that much longer, so every moment I spend with him is precious.
Likewise, for a time, I made an effort to embrace myself each morning when I woke, and each evening before I fell asleep, letting my thoughts also embrace my heart and opening my heart to embrace my being. I think it's time to reclaim this sacred practice. It takes but a few moments and goes a long way.