Post-Covid, things are getting back to normal. Offices and schools are open. We have started going to the Veldhoven office slowly, attending in-person meetings, chatting during lunch hours and sometimes playing TT. As the footprint increases in the office, lunch-hour is used to be a bit crowded as expected. So usually we (Me and my teammates) start a bit early to avoid crowds. We are not always successful in beating the crowd as everyone thinks the same way & the cafeteria is eventually overcrowded.

Last week, as always, we started a bit early to the cafeteria. After standing in a queue, we picked up spoons and trays & gradually proceeded to the display area. Display area cum serving area is big (which can accommodate around ~100+ employees) and usually contains different cuisines, juices and soups. After taking a small detour, I finally decided to take red raspberry juice which looked good and I wanted to try it as I had never tried it before. It contained strawberry pieces, mint leaves with some other berries and syrup. And it was placed over the ice cubes basket to keep it cold. I picked up one glass and kept it in my tray. It started sliding as friction was very less between a wet cold glass of red raspberry and a shining try. I had to be very careful otherwise it would have fallen off the try. For a moment, I was a bit nervous and diffident. Then I observed, others too had similar experience with the same or other juices which were kept over ice cubes. I managed to handle the tray and reached the counter to pay for it. The lady at the counter welcomed everyone with a smile & greeting. In my turn, she handed over tissue paper to keep it between the wet glass and tray to avoid any mishap. Simple solution right. For a moment, I thought that I could have done this just after picking up the juice glass. And after that kind gesture, I was no more extra cautious, paid the juice price, and moved towards the cafeteria sitting area comfortably after thanking her.

This simple incident teaches mindfulness with respect to subtle things in life. Be Open to life’s lessons, which are just around us in trivial form to avoid mishaps and use System2.