Morning intention setting

I'm still listening to "getting unstuck" by Pema Chodron and she had this lovely little exercise to try. In the morning, when you first wake up, set an intention for the day - an affirmation that is about being present. And then in the evening as you close the day look at that affirmation and hold on to the moments that it fed into you. No getting upset because you didn't go around like a Buddhist monk all day. No beating yourself up for forgetting. Her works is all about turning love and kindness inward.
And so, I did that yesterday - setting the intention to being present to the joy I feel when i am with the people that I love. These two people who currently share my day to day life are so loved and special to me - I wanted to hold the joy of that presence. Interestingly enough, it actually helped me let go of small irritations and hooks. It let me love in the face of grumpiness. There was room for me to nurture myself as well. A couple things came up in the evening - but I let those hooks go back to the people that own them. And as I went to bed last night, I was in touch with my daughter's smile and my husband's warm embrace as if I had carried those two experiences with me all day.