As every day passes by I realize more and more how much of an old man I am. All I lack really is using terms like “whippersnapper” and eating dinner at 4:45 in the afternoon.
The reason I mention this is because of the advice I am about to bestow on all you readers. Most of you aren’t going to be blown away by this. In fact, everybody pretty much over the age of about 24 already knows this, but I’m going to throw it out there to remind us all of this fact. Here it is: “Embrace the now.”
You might comprehend this life lesson as “seize the day” or maybe you like the quote, “Live like there is no tomorrow.” Whatever your translation, enjoy the precious moments in your life right now because they will pass in the blink of an eye and all you will have left are fleeting memories and even those won’t last forever.
This topic is on my mind today because my daughter’s birthday is tomorrow. She turns a year old and I will spend most of Friday thinking about what has to be done to get the party ready, setting up the water slides, decorating the house and then fretting over what should come first, the cake or the presents. I’m leaning toward presents first so that she isn’t covered in icing when the clothes are pulled out of the boxes and bags. Because I will be distracted by the insignificant details of my child’s birthday parties I am most likely going to miss out on the entire purpose of the day, celebrating the birth of my beautiful baby girl.
A year has passed and it seems like it was only a few weeks ago when I got the phone call to get up to the hospital. So many things have happened since then, so many “first” milestones, and I didn’t fully appreciate each small moment for what it was worth.
I remember her first solid food being avocado (I know, I have a weird kid) but I don’t fully remember the instance when she ate it. With every new trick (the word her mother and I use to signify landmark moments of development such as waving, talking, laughing) Emery learned in the past year I should have been basking in the moment, taking in every thought, every sight, every smell even, to appreciate and remember the occasion.
Pictures and video recordings help to preserve our memories, but what a beating it is to carry around the camera everywhere you go to pick up each individual moment from a child’s life. And in all honesty, how many people make a point to go back and look at photo albums or tapes of graduation? It is great to have photo albums around when your kids ask about grandma or what their third birthday party was like and we always appreciate the person who took the time out to document these moments of a person’s life, but few want to be that person.
So I will say it again, cherish each precious moment you have. Not to sound like a downer, but it is only going to get worse. Being a kid was great because you had scheduled naps and when you were awake all you did was play. College is said to be the best time of our lives, and for me it wasn’t far from the truth. Getting married and starting a family is a tough thing to wrap your head around, but it is always such an exciting and new time. Grandchildren are a blessing that almost no human being can avoid spoiling.
These are all wonderful moments in a person’s life and if you don’t watch out it will pass you by in the blink of an eye, just like the last year of my daughter’s life has passed by me and I feel like I didn’t fully appreciate it.
No comments:
Post a Comment