Practicing the Pause (in Portugal)

The frozen mountain town I’m currently exploring has me thinking fondly of a warmer winter experience—when I was in Portugal, and I practiced the pause.

When I left for that trip, I was aware of everything I wanted to leave behind. Mostly, I wanted to leave behind the things that I disliked about the USA at that time.

Graffiti was one of the things I was ready to never see again (even though I do realize graffiti seems to be everywhere in our world).

But I'm not talking about commissioned—or what should be commissioned—street art.

I was ready to leave behind paint blobs and streaks, repeated initials, plus partial and harmful phrases. I could only see pain in those expressions.

I’m naturally sad about the social realities that cause and allow these things to happen. I'm sad about the toxic chemicals used to paint graffiti (what those toxins do to all of us and our planet).

Upon seeing graffiti, I typically have thoughts that are prompted by shock.

What has this world come to? Has anyone heard of non-toxic chalk? How can we all nurture ourselves and others in more loving ways?

So, of course, during that sunshine-filled winter in Portugal, hiking a narrow trail along a jagged cliff overlooking the swelling sea, a wall appeared. Full of graffiti.

Off I was, experiencing internal thoughts. They flowed and flowed. Seriously? In beautiful nature, of all places? We are living on Mother Earth, for God’s sake.

Then, on that wall, I saw a heart. The heart above. I saw love.

I stopped, non-judgmentally, to witness. To breathe. This was my mindful moment. I was practicing the pause.

Afterward, that heart reminded me that I can always choose love—I can focus on loving basics, no matter what is happening in the world. I am in control of this.

• we each get to love ourselves

• we each get to create our own loving environments

• we each get to surround ourselves with loving individuals

If every individual in this world could pause to nurture themselves with love … all individuals in this world would be nurtured with love (which just might eliminate the need for graffiti).