Hindsight REWIND The Present

Reminisce and Reflect with me.

When you are searching for that perfect gift consider for a moment the gift of time. Building a snowman on a winter day in nineteen-ninety something was enough.  A quote from a book that I recently reread stuck a chord and reminded me of the importance of taking the time to live more in the present appreciating the people, places and things around me.   

Adults tend to get absorbed in their to do lists and forget to stop and smell the coffee so to speak.  If you watch children, you will see that they are naturally so much better at seeing and enjoying the good things that are going on around them.  Until they are taught what is expected or accepted, they simply live in the moment.

 For parents joy that is shared and brings us together can be that perfect gift.  This gift is about more that just practicing mindfulness to achieve greater happiness because “every time we are not fully engaged in the moment is time lost forever!

I would like to share a treasured quote that used to hang in a prominent place in my kitchen.  Somehow over the years its prominence diminished, its importance was ignored and eventually covered up and forgotten completely!  Then many years later I found it behind the calendar usually filled with a busy family’s agenda of events and activities.

It says,  “THE POINT IS NOT TO DO REMARKABLE THINGS, BUT TO DO ORDINARY THINGS WITH THE CONVICTION OF THEIR IMMENSE IMPORTANCE.” Worthwhile words of wisdom at any age!

As I prepare my traditional yearly family photo display that hangs on the fridge and file pictures away into “old school” albums, I quietly enjoy remembering the special memories captured in those images.

I know the idea of finding joy and living more in the present is not a new one.  But it is something that resonates in my mind and heart more frequently now.  There must be some truth in the saying that wisdom comes with age because in our younger, busier lives this advice was often ignored and rarely taken.

Retirement has given me the gift of time and more sleep!  I am feeling more joyful and  physically, mentally and spiritually restored.  Proof of how much more balance and perspective I might have gained sooner in life if I had just slowed down and enjoyed a few more precious moments.

I must admit sometimes when I look back over old photos and think about past family events my memories are not always as clear as I thought they would be.  Maybe I should not have been so busy,  participated more actively, recorded things more vividly in my brain and written more things down to remember.  I often forgot to stop and smell the coffee!

Consider what are the memories that you want your children to carry with them in future years.  Perhaps the perfect gift is to take more time to do ordinary things together.  It is important to recognize that appreciating many of the quiet endearing moments in life, like being there when your child is building a snowman on a winter day, do make you feel more joyful, content and successful as a parent and will create lasting memories.

Thank you for joining me!

Karen