In the dining room

We have docked and stepped back into reality. What a wonderful, relaxing, and refreshing time we had!   It seems that we did so much, yet did so little all at the same time. We are vacationers who like to relax by taking advantage of our free time and putting it into action. We like to “do” rather than totally veg. I enjoyed having the opportunity to pick up my magazines and books and read without interruption. I am continuing to read Kristin Armstrong’s Mile Markers. This sampling of her blog has encouraged me to strive to do one thing that seems to elude me- living for the moment. I am a planner. From creating my grocery list to filling out my calendar for the year to come, I like to know what’s next. In that though, I often lose sight of what’s now. A number of Kristin’s blogs are about her enjoying her time with her kids, her family, and her friends. In her post titled “Right here“, she ends with this thought…

I was struck by the reminder that no matter how many thoughts my brain can tick through in succession, I can only be present in one place at a time. So I have a new question to ask myself, “Where is your heart?”  The only acceptable answer is, “Right here.”  If my heart is somewhere else, I’m going to go there and join it. So whether I’m pouring my love into a child, helping with homework, writing a column, combing out tangles, in downward facing dog, walking the dog, running up a hill, or being part of a conversation, the same answer applies. 

The more I ask myself the question, the more present I become.

So, as I disembarked from the paradise of cruise life, I realized that I am walking back into the best paradise this side of Eternity- my home, surrounded by my husband and my three young children. They demand a lot of my energy at their ages (including my husband), but one day, my kids may not even want much of my attention. So, right now, I will rejoice in the moments that we do share. (I’ll even try at bath time- that has always been my Achilles heel!)

Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. James 4:14

Cozumel

Sunset