Reflection…

LIFE

Imagine there is a bank
which credits your account
each morning with $86,400,
carries over no balance from day to day,
allows you to keep no cash balance,
and every morning cancels whatever part
of the amount you had failed
to use during the day.
What would you do?
Draw out every cent, of course!

Well, everyone has such a bank.
Its name is TIME.
Every morning it credits you with 86,400 seconds.
Each day it opens a new account for you.
Each night it burns the records of the day.
If you fail to use the day’s deposits,
the loss is yours.
There is no going back.
There is no drawing against “tomorrow”.
You must live in the present
on the day’s deposits.

To realize the value of ONE YEAR
Ask a student who has failed her Chemistry exam.

To realize the value of ONE MONTH
ask a mother who has given birth
to a pre-mature baby.

To realize the value of ONE WEEK
ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.

To realize the value of ONE DAY
ask a daily wage laborer who has ten kids to feed.

To realize the value of ONE HOUR
ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.

To realize the value of ONE MINUTE
ask a person who has missed the train.

To realize the value of ONE SECOND
ask a person who has survived an accident.

To realize the value of ONE MILLI-SECOND
ask the person who has won
a silver medal in the Olympics.

(Marc Levy)

I’ve been reflecting on the past year.  Specifically thinking about how I’ve spent my time.  Did I live in the present?  Did I use my time meaningfully?  Was I grateful for the time I had?

In 2019, I finished my graduate degree and gave birth to a wonderful baby girl.  Both of those accomplishments accounted for an exorbitant amount of time.

But what about how I spent the majority of each day?  Am I living life to the fullest?  Am I ensuring that I’m a present wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend?  Have I been kind to myself and given myself the grace I need to be the best version of me?

As we move into a new year, think about how you are spending your “deposit” of life.  Are you being purposeful with your time?  Are you making your moments count?

Unfortunately, there were events in this last decade that taught me that nothing is guaranteed and tomorrow is not a promise.  BUT I know that I have right now.  I currently have the time to laugh and play, to find joy in the small things and to blow off laundry for snuggles and a movie.  The wonderful thing about life, is that if you fail in one moment, you can restart in the next!

In the past decade, I watched as my son’s life was spun upside-down due to a cancer diagnosis.  On the polar end of the spectrum, my husband and I were able to bring a beautiful life into this world.  Both events were unexpected and both were life changing.  I don’t want to take the moment’s in-between for granted.

You hear the cliché “make the most out of the day”, but are you taking it seriously?  It isn’t just a generic phrase.  It’s the honest truth.  I took a lot of life for granted before my son became sick.  I missed moments and opportunities to be present and be grateful.  I thought our time was endless.  Eight years later, I still lose focus on what truly matters the most in life.

Moving forward, I am making the decision to be more consistent.  Consistently present, consistently grateful, consistently kind (to myself and others) and consistently purposeful with how I spend my time.  I hope you have a magical year and enjoy the time you are allotted each day!

Best Wishes in 2020,

Ryder’s Mommy