My children gifted me a stainless steel coffee plunger (咖啡壶). I couldn't1to use it, looking forward to coffee making for a peaceful day.
As I poured my first cup of coffee, the plunger spilled (洒出) all over the table.2no one was around to see my disappointed face! I kept trying, but each morning would see me3the coffee. Then I realized that if I poured very slowly there would be no spilling. This was at first a very4experience. My normal5was to rush through breakfast so that I could get on with my day.
But6I learned not only to pour slowly but to enjoy the7: the smell, the taste, and the stillness of a new day. It helped me to8on whether there were other areas of my life I was rushing through. Most of life, it seemed.
I started to leave extra time to do even the most9tasks. When shop owners would10for keeping me waiting, I'd say, "Not a problem, I'm not in a hurry."11hanging out washing became pleasurable when listening to the birds singing in the trees became part of my12. Besides, one of my favorite experiences was spending time with strangers. We sat on the steps, with a cup of coffee in hand, listening to each other's stories. It was one of the13things about living in a busy city, as if the world slowed to a14we could both handle.
Stillness and quietness not only slow the pace of life, but also15the soul, helping us to enjoy the world's small pleasures.
