Focusing on the present

How often do we really focus on the present moment?  How often do we stop rushing around just to notice what a good time we're having?  Do you ever wish you did it more often?  I wish and wish I'd focused on the present when I was at school and had so many opportunities to learn;  I wish and wish I'd focused on the present when Ash and I were teenagers and had no real commitments;  I wish and wish I'd focused on the present before we had Jake and it was just the two of us;  I wish and wish I'd focused on the present when Jake was growing up and we were a family unit;  I wish and wish I'd focused on the present when Jake left home and it was just the two of us again; instead I was always rushing around dealing with the current crisis, focusing on work or planning the next thing to look forward to and, because I didn't focus then, I sometimes struggle to remember now.  There are amazing memories from each of those times that I can call to mind on dark days but really nowhere near as many as there should be.   Luckily Jake can remember all sorts of things I've long since forgotten (and some I'd really rather he didn't tell me about) and that helps hugely but because in the past I was so focused on the future there are enormous gaps in my remembering and sometimes that makes me sad.  So for all of you out there who are thinking 'I'll do ....... someday' or 'when we retire we'll .........' I urge you to put it off no longer.  Embrace what you have and enjoy what you can do.  Do as much as you can while you can and, while you're doing it, focus on every single minute then you'll have the memories to get you through when times aren't quite so good.


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Comments

Ann said…
Hear, hear Jane. Excellent advice...