Living in the Moment

My son's 35 pound puppy woke me up this morning, way before I was ready to get up (I know you're tired of hearing about the puppy - but hang on, that's all I'm going to say about him). My son's puppy, the very same son who is away visiting his girlfriend for four days, and the very same puppy who sleeps on the floor next to me every night..I promise that is it about the puppy.

I can't sleep until noon anymore, even if I wanted to, but 7:30 is preferred to 6:30. My dutiful husband gets up with him more than I do and this morning I wanted to let him sleep. I got dressed, as he (no, not my husband) tugged incessantly on my pants as I tried to put them on; went down stairs (nearly falling down them as he wedged himself between my feet, as he always does) and got his leash. Without even a cup of coffee, I headed out the door to take him for a walk.

An immediate calm descended on me, in spite of the fact that he was anxiously pulling me up the street. It was a beautiful, quiet spring morning, except for the birds who were enjoying the lush green trees as much as I was. There were no cars rushing down the road toward work, or garbage men collecting trash, or dogs barking. It was blissful. I breathed in nature's calm and felt a deep sense of gratitude...for nothing in particular.

As I walked on I realized I was totally in the moment. I had not yet woken up enough to start thinking about what the day held or fret about anything in the past. I was simply there, on that road, in that moment, enjoying the gift of nature that surrounded me.

I think the concept of living in the moment is the American version of meditation, either way the results are the same. I believe it is possible to do this more often..to consciously focus on the instant you are taking the one single breath you have been given.

We have no control over the future, no way to change the past, so why do we waste our energy and precious time on this earth mentally and emotionally in those places? Sinking our teeth into what is right in front of us is really all we can do.

And while we are living that moment, every now and then, we will be handed a gift....like the perfectly shaped Tulip blossom that had fallen from atop a 50 foot Tulip tree and landed at my feet as I was walking. It now sits on the windowsill over my kitchen sink and reminds me how precious each moment is.