Live in the Moment

I've heard that phrase many times.  I think it's supposed to mean something positive, like seeing what's right in front of you and appreciating it.

I realized recently that, for better or worse, I very much live in the moment.  Every, single, day.

To such an extent that I can't think much beyond what's going to happen in the current day, and often can't recall what we did just a day or two ago.

It's hard for me to grasp when and how my everyday consciousness morphed into this current pattern.  I remember spending endless hours lost in my thoughts, as a young girl.  I used to daydream to my heart's content; doodling rainbows and studying my fingernails from every imaginable angle.

I now keep my nails trimmed to stubs, for the sake of housekeeping and sensitive baby skin; and the last few times they've needed attention, several days have passed before I can get to them.  And at that, I often clip one hand worth, only to be interrupted and walk around for two days with the other hand's nails getting ever longer before I get back to clipping them all down to size.  It's just the way it is.  Even time for ordinary tasks is a luxury.

I'm not complaining.  Really, that's not my intention.  It's just remarkable to me, when I sit down and take a minute to analyze where I'm at, how much my life is not mine and my time belongs to my family.  It's good, I know it is.  But I also know that there are things I'm neglecting, balls I'm dropping because I forget, or give myself a pass.  I hope I'm doing my best.  I pray that I can find balance during these busy, demanding years.

Each morning, I stand before Jesus on the Cross.  I silently offer Him my day, all my works, prayers, joys, and sufferings.  I ask Him - no, beg Him - to give me the grace that I need to do what I need to on this day.

Then, I go on, living in each moment as it comes.

Just Kidding.

We took an incredibly important trip to the store today.  Life-changing, really.  Looking back, I can't imagine where we'd be if we hadn't needed coffee creamer.

We were checking out, and the cheerful cashier looked around at all the kids and exclaimed, "Wow!  Are they all yours?"

Us:  "Yup, they sure are."  (Smiling, because it's what we do.)

Her:  "Oh my, how many of them?!"  (For some reason, they're always too overwhelmed to count.)

Us:  "Seven."  (Still smiling, but eyeing our unchecked groceries.)

Her:  "Wow.  Oh!  And you finally got your girl, huh?!"

Us:  "Yup, sure did."  (Smiling still, because who can talk about Genevieve and not smile?)

Her:  "And now you can be done!!"

And that was the life-changing part.  Just like that, we realized it:  We can stop having kids now!  We finally got our girl!  All those years of having child after child, with the sole intention of getting a girl, and now she's here!  I mean, we're so oblivious to things sometimes, that we may have just kept going, out of habit, you know.  But now we don't have to, and it's all because someone was kind enough to point it out to us.  What a relief, now we can be done.

Thank goodness for coffee creamer and helpful strangers.

Breaking the Ice

No words necessary, right?

Be back soon.