LIVING TODAY
The other day a dear friend of mine posted something on Facebook that really got my attention.
IF THIS STRIKES A CORD IN YOU , WONDERFUL :)
Under the title "wisdom" she posted the following excerpt from Anna Quindlen. The message struck a chord with me and I haven't been able to shake it.
"The biggest mistake I made [as a parent] is that I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs.
There is one picture of my kids sitting in the grass on a quilt on a summer day, ages six, four, and one. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night.
I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less." -- Anna Quindlen
The unfortunate part about living in a world that is constantly connected and ever-changing, is that we frequently forget to slow down and notice the small things that can make each day extraordinary. Ever since I read this, I've been making a concerted effort to notice those small things - the way my little boy talks, the way he eats, the way he smells after a bath. You might find my living room floor scattered with toys, my car may be littered with baby wipes and candy wrappers, and there might be a dozen loads of laundry to be done, but I'm going to make the effort to stop each day and pay attention to the other things - the more important things. Our days here are numbered and I'm positive that when I look back and remember the inflection in my little boy's voice the time he told me I was his best friend, that pile of laundry and that dirty car won't even matter.
HUGS ,SHIRLEY
