The Moment

Do you have trouble being in the moment, too? Most daily events for me are chores that fall along a timeline. First, this. Next, that. Even as I’m doing one thing, my head is into the next item to be completed and struck from the list. This is even true when I’m supposed to be relaxing. How did I ever learn to do this “in the moment” stuff so incorrectly?

We have a dog. A puppy. One blessing of owning a dog (which may be the opposite of the truth) is that its human must occasionally take it beyond the threshold of the home. It prevents cleanups, the pet appreciates it, and the change of air is probably beneficial. We’ve only had our dog since late Spring, so check back. I may feel differently mid-Winter. But, we were talking about the moment.

Our dog IJ and I were outside early one morning. She was sniffing things, digging in the flower beds (bad dog), and turning a stick blown from a large maple tree into kindling. I was sitting on a nearby step mulling over the day. You know, thinking ahead.

I suspect we were outside fifteen minutes or more when I realized it was getting lighter. Birds were either chirping or giving voice to song. The leaves on our large tree were rustled by the wind. There was a ballet in the yard with dancers dressed in golden costumes romping and cavorting in the breeze. I’m not sure cavorting is even legal in this state. 

A Different Tree, but How About that Color!?

I stood and looked to the west as a brilliant sunrise crested the horizon and created a blaze of color in the tops of distant trees. I admired the beauty and continued listening. 

Automobile doors clunked closed and engines ground into life as neighbors left home to deliver children to school or to go to work. And still the wind stirred the leaves into a lulling sound, a Midwestern version of surf. 

IJ startled, then bounded into action as she chased first one leaf then another across the yard. How can a body go from inactive to frenetic so quickly? I left the moment with the realization that I’ve been missing awareness like this. 

I have friends who regularly travel to state or national parks to hike. I suspect they are thoughtfully positioning themselves to “be”. 

I want to learn to slip into this mindset more easily and more often. When I’m alone. When I’m with family and friends. When I’m in conversation. I want to intentionally let go of the handlebars of my life and be guided and carried by something or Someone with a much larger perspective. I know Who and What that is for me. I wish it for you as well.