Today, I started with quiet, being present with myself.

It served my inner self.

I stopped by “the office” and visited with my cousin briefly.

It served my social self.

I practiced yoga, my mat adjacent to my mother’s.

It served my physical and mental self.

I shopped at the grocery and filled our cart with healthy, nutritious and tasty food.

It served my home-maker self.

I ate lunch with cousins, leaving with my heart as full of joy as my belly was of tacos.

It served my emotional self.

I called one of my closest friends and chatted, even just for a brief moment.

It served my communal self.

I began the research on the next sermon I’m to give.

It served my academic self.

I went for a run – even in the wind with the cold burning my lungs and ears,

it served my achiever self.

I shared my kitchen with 3 littles, spilling arborio rice, chopping greens, stirring the risotto.

It served my mother self.

I mixed the ingredients for Christmas cookies, singing carols and enjoying a Holiday Cheer with all the children “helping.”

It served my celebratory self.

I changed diapers, washed dishes, moved toys from one place to another, shuffled papers from one place to another and put away toothbrushes, clothes, pens, a toy chicken, and 4 pairs of pajamas.

It served my productive self.

Today I didn’t sell a single widget, make a single dollar or produce a single good. It was actually quite self-ish. But it was a day filled with beauty and worth. I’m filled with a sense of accomplishment – not just in “meeting all my needs” but in growing a step closer to being, and living as, a whole person. And I think that counts for something.