In the quiet dark of the early morning, I resolved to breathe mindfully today: deep, restorative, lung-filling breaths. After a pleasant early shift at work, with moments of mindful breathing, I headed to my next engagement. As I stepped off the bus the air was crisp and cold; the sky was dull and grey. I reached into my bag for the oatmeal yoyo cookie that I stashed in there - a snack to carry me through my upcoming appointment until I could eat a proper lunch.
I bit into it as I stepped out into the crosswalk. That very moment, the cold air filled my nose with the pleasant, pungent aroma of woodsmoke while cinnamon danced on my tongue. Almost as quickly, the woodsmoke faded and the cinnamon in my mouth mingled with a hint of bright lemon from the delicious, subtly-sweet cookie filling.
The oatmeal yoyo is my very favorite thing we make at the bakery. It's just barely sweetened with applesauce and a hint of maple syrup; two small, chewy cookies snuggled up against a delicious dollop of whipped coconut oil in between them.
I inhaled the crisp air deeply and savored the last morsels, feeling grateful to have been swept up into such a cozy, wintery moment.