Daily lessons

What if we made of each day a lesson? A new way to see ourselves and our world?

A way to become better people. In my case, less judgmental, less impatient, less intolerant.

What if we took each day and determined that we were going to learn something new? And that we were going to do something good for someone else?

Even the smallest acts of kindness create waves of change in the oceans of the universe.

Today, I had my Sunday all set out. This morning, I went to get improved at the spa with my bestest-of-friends KG to get ready for opening day (I start teaching this week). Then I planned to go to the gym.

But I hadn't seen Ms. K for a while so after my brows looked like a movie star's and my upper lip no longer looked like my brother's before he shaves, we went out to a coffee shop. Instead of rushing off, we had a leisurely chat. Soon enough, the afternoon caught up with us and we both had to get on with our day.

I then decided to stop at the nearby mercado for my favorite Mexican cheese, queso fresco, and for limones (10 for $1!) and for an horchata mix that the store owner pledged was the very best.

As I walked through the large store, which overflowed with Latino products of all types, I passed by the meat counter and ogled the thin pork chops. Momentarily, I yearned for the overcooked, crispy, thin pork chops of my youth, which I used to accompany with crispy, thin french fries and apple sauce.

"Would you like some of those?", the stud-earringed Latino youth at the counter asked, ending my reverie.

I hesitated a moment, and then decided: Why not?

"Sí, can I have one, por favor?," I asked.

"¿Una libra?," he asked. I didn't have the heart to tell him I only wanted one pork chop, so I said "Sí" and left with three chops.

As I was getting ready to pay and move on to my next stop, my cell phone rang and it was my husband. His motorcycle had stranded him in a town about an hour-plus away. He had been on his way to his parents' in West Virginia.

Immediately, my whole day changed. I quickly came home, left my car in the garage, fitted the pick up truck with the ramps for transporting the motorcycle, and off I went to rescue my husband. Settling myself behind the cars on the highway that were going past the speed limit, I made it there in an hour.

For a change, I got to do the salvaging and that felt very good (he's always saving me from scrapes, especially when I get hopelessly lost near some cornfield). And the best part of all was that it was no big deal, no one was hurt, nothing was lost, except perhaps some time and the best laid plans for one Sunday.

Once home, my husband worked on his bike until he fixed it. On his own, thank you. We had a home-cooked meal of pink-bean taquitos and my crispy, thin, overcooked pork chop was delicious.

The whole episode reminded me of how important it is to make a conscious effort not to become a self-absorbed person. I don't want to be, even momentarily, the kind of person whose whole world revolves around them.

I want to take each day as a lesson, a chance to work on becoming a better human being, to challenge my limitations and improve on my liabilities.

I hope that every single day I'm alive teaches me something, up to the day I am no more of this world.