This morning I woke up to a conversation already in progress.
Not me exactly — more like my mind, having a very animated discussion with my mother. For those of you who work with me, “Moe” was making an appearance.
What made me smile was how obvious it was. The commentary. The tone. The familiar emotional flavor. And in that moment of recognition, something softened. A little space appeared. I could watch it rather than be swept into it.
That space didn’t last forever. The mind noticed it had been seen… and tried again — same topic, different delivery. Which made me laugh even more.
And it got me thinking about how human this is.
We all wake up into inherited stories, unfinished conversations, protective reflexes that believe they’re helping. Not because we’re broken — but because we learned to survive by staying alert. By rehearsing. By defending.
No wonder the world feels tired.
So much energy is spent bracing.
What if — just for a moment — we didn’t argue with the mind or try to silence it? What if we simply noticed it… with a little humor, a little kindness?
Not everything needs to be fought. Some things dissolve when they’re met with awareness instead of resistance.
I have a quiet sense that many of us are longing for a break from conflict — not by ignoring reality, but by choosing a different vantage point. One where curiosity replaces certainty. Where care doesn’t require agreement.
Maybe peace doesn’t arrive all at once. Maybe it shows up in small pauses — emerging from the gap between the thought and the reaction.
A Morning Blessing
May you notice without judging.
May you soften without losing clarity.
May you find a spacious breath between stimulus and response.
And may that space remind you: another way is always available.