While I was playing outside with my boys recently I felt this urgency to stop and take in the moment.
If you were viewing the scene from the outside you would have thought I was doing just that — we were playing chase, laughing, blowing bubbles; I looked like I was there and present. And I really was having a great time, but my mind was making lists, thinking about dinner, reviewing my Sunday school lesson. My mind wasn’t fully present.
Yet there was that urge telling me to stop thinking about later and think about now. Take in their chubby hands, listen to their giggly laughs, soak up every word, story, and squeal they had that day. Because before I know it they will be grown and I’ll sit on my porch with just the memory of those kid-filled moments.
Many times through our lives we spend our days planning for the future. Planning is essential and it would be chaotic if we lived only for the now and never for the tomorrow, but we can spend so much time planning for another day that we forget to live in this day.
When we are always in tomorrow’s thoughts then we can forget to enjoy today’s season. We miss the moments we’re surrounded by and we forget to have genuine emotions about the present happenings.
We need to make a conscious effort to stop, really stop, and take in the moment. Life is filled with beautiful things and wonderful people that we can so easily miss when we are trying to rush to the next phase of life.
The next time you’re out just stop for a moment and take in your surroundings. There may be things you pass by every single day that you never noticed. The next time you’re talking to a friend, spouse, or child, turn off your mental to-do listen and listen. You may hear something you’ve never heard.
When we’re in the moment then we will create wonderful memories. It would be a shame to come to the end of our lives and realize the only memories we have were filled of us planning to make memories.
No matter what stage you’re moving into, take a few moments to enjoy the present state. Take time to soak in the now, create memories, and smell a rose or two.