Life & Gratitude

It's after 9 pm and I can hear Bear playing in the dark of his room right now. I, myself, should be in bed. But I need the quiet. I need the solitude. I need this moment to reflect. 

Today was a hard day. It's been a hard couple of days. Weeks even. Turns out, the older we get, the older our families get. We lose some, some need surgery on their failing joints, some are just learning to sit up for the first time, and tonight I'm stopping to wonder, what did I miss? How did we get here? 

Life, which used to creep by, has suddenly hit the accelerator. Things that really do matter are being replaced with the things that seem quite trivial. It's time to stop, slow down, see things through my children's eyes. Relive the magic of a blooming flower, the interest of sand between my toes, the joy I feel from a good hug from a dear friend. 

Time to be present.