Living in the Moment

I received the following quote in my email inbox the other day:

“Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.” - Oprah

It struck me that I have not been doing this lately. I haven't been breathing and taking time to appreciate things. I've been surviving - moving from making breakfast to packing lunches, dropping off at school, working, picking up from school, making dinner, doing dishes, folding laundry....you get the point. I've been focused on just making it through it each day without going crazy. Even more than that, I've actually thought about making it through the winter, surviving until the little boy starts sleeping through the night more consistently...

I don't want to paint a completely dark picture. I do have moments - sweet, snuggly moments with my boys, tons of hugs and kisses, beautiful sunrises, happy songs... - but I want to have more of them. I want my life to be one moment after another, with me living fully and appreciating each one. And don't get me wrong. I do understand I'll still have to wipe the counters and change dirty diapers and sit in meetings and do all sorts of things I'd rather not do; but even in those moments, there is beauty and happiness, and I need to find it again.

When I thought about how to do this, I realized that it is so easy. It's just a matter of deciding to do it! I also reviewed a few old posts on this very blog that helped serve as reminders:

Find Some Peace and Quiet - I find this harder to do in the winter for some reason, even though it is the perfect season to appreciate the dark and quiet.

Totally and Completely in Love - This is more true than ever, and I could probably come up with a similar list every day.

Smile, Breathe, and Go Slowly - A perfect mantra for these crazy busy days.

Serenity - An eerily similar post from almost two years ago. (Wow. Have I really been blogging for two years?!?)

Have a happy and peaceful day!