Gonna Love the Life I Live and Live the Life I Love

I saw this on the back bumper of a truck today, and smiled like the cheshire cat. I am sure I have read similar phrases before, but this time, it hit me straight to the heart like an arrow.

I have been realizing just how much energy and awareness it takes to be fully present in the moment. Not only to be in the moment, but to be enjoying the moment too. I sometimes start my day like a sequence of events - coffee, check, read books, breakfast, park, nap. Last night I thought to myself, after a very fun bath time and good half-hour of cuddling and reading books: wow, I am REALLY enjoying this. This moment, this time with my son, it's where I want to be. I was savoring it, and I wondered why it does not always feel this way. Sometimes I go about the motions of reading books with my son, but it isn't particularly where my attention is... I am thinking about dinner, or tomorrow's tasks. And I don't just soak it up.

Sometimes the days can get repetitive with a young child, because hey, it's what they like. And they know what they like. I tell my son all the time how easy he is to please. Good food, running and playing at the park, and it is the BEST DAY EVER for him. Even if we go to the same two parks everyday. He doesn't mind, he likes it. He knows just what things he likes at each park, and goes to each one in turn. He is super content with his routine and the basics of his life. I however, find the routine occasionally tedious. The park...again. Sometimes I want something new, something different, some other experience.

But today I am reminded of what a beautiful life I have, how lucky I am to be IN it, day in and day out, able to soak in my life and appreciate the fleeting moments. I try to hold him a little tighter, try to open the windows a little wider, try to take just a second to embrace where I am this instant. Because I chose this life that I have, from my family to my home, to the clothes I wear, the car I drive, the minutes I spend. I chose this life based on what I love, and when I look at it that way, I am happy and lucky to live this life. Life is too precious to just go through each day to get through it. If you aren't enjoying it, what's the point? When you can consciously look at your children, look at your house, and say, "I CHOSE THIS", it makes you realize what a blessing it can be to experience the life that you love.