Ever since the pandemic, I have been acutely aware that we are not promised an eternity in this life. When I saw what was happening in China early in 2020, I started taking my son out over weekends to create new memories because I didn’t know if we would go into lockdown, or for how long if we did and if one of us got the virus and didn’t make it, at least the other had recent memories to hold on to. Once we could move around again, I vowed to dress up as often as I could and show up at every opportunity because, to me, it is a way of honouring every moment that I have. I have also made a few additional little changes because I am just grateful that I am still here and I want to make the most of the moments I have on this earth.
If we take care of the moments, the years will take care of themselves.
Maria Edgeworth
Over the past 3 weeks or so I have been bombarded with, what feels like, messages from the Universe to live in the moment and to possibly to find my values and live by them. I thought I was but clearly there is something that I am missing. It started when I kept seeing people recommend “When Breathe becomes Air” by Paul Kalanithi.
I saw it recommended on my Twitter and Medium feeds so many times so I took it as a sign and got hold of a copy. What a great book! He had a beautiful writing style. In it, his oncologist often tells him to “find his values” when he asks for a prognosis. He ponders on what he would do if he had 3 months, a year or 10 years left. This notion of focusing on finding your values rather than focusing on the time you have left or letting that determine what you will focus on, has really played on my mind. The reality is that none of us know how much time we have left. Every single moment is a gift. How am I going to spend it? What will bring me the greatest joy and, for those around me, the greatest benefit?
When my son’s dad died almost 3 months ago. It was a huge shock. He was only 43 and had a heart attack. I stayed at my sister’s place the weekend of his funeral and there was an old fashioned clock next to my bed. I was so aware of the steady rhythm of that tick and that tock. Every second of my life passing by while I lay there. It was yet another scary reminder that time keeps moving on even if we don’t. I was acutely aware that I hadn’t accomplished all that I would like to.
Since completing the book over the weekend, I have had more than one person tell me that they had been reminded to live in the now and to live their best life now through a podcast or a sermon, etc. It’s clearly no coincidence and I just need to meditate on the direction I want to go and get moving. I started doing something towards one of my goals on Sunday. Let’s see how it pans out.
Thanks for stopping by. Let me know how you are being intentional with your time these days. Bye for now!
Grounded African 