Do You Live For Today?

Graduation looms and I wake too early in the morning thinking of all the things I need to accomplish in the next six weeks--painting projects and cleaning and menu planning and yard work and memorabilia . . . not to mention the dollar signs that swim in my foggy head or the sadness and anxiety which accompany thoughts of my daughter moving out.

But if I dwell on these, if I let myself live in the future, what will I miss out on today? Will I enjoy her presence while she's still in my home? Will I revel in the wonderful person she IS?

Years, many years of parenting small children, their demands keeping me away from personal pursuits, made me question my significance. I knew in my head and my heart this was God's call on my life, that it was important and worthy of all my time, yet in the middle of screaming babies and sticky prints all over the furniture and watching my husband pursue his goals unencumbered, I dreamed of the day I could have outside interests, lunch dates, time that was all my own

Now that the day has come, I wonder if I truly appreciated the gift of my kids' early years. Did I treasure the little hand on my cheek, the sweaty head sleeping on my shoulder, the funny turn of phrase only a two-year-old can muster? Did I let myself share their wonder despite the temporary mess it made for me?

And as one of those little ones marks a passage of time, I have to ask if I let myself feel all the joy of her life. Did I miss something wishing away the tough stuff? Did I live one day at a time and capture all the moments I could with her?

It highlights the value of living for today, of looking for the good anywhere, everywhere, even in the midst of circumstances we may not deem ideal. There is beauty in any moment, in every day. The challenge is to find it and capture it.

Do you live for today?



Photo Credit: W J (Bill) Harrison