Suggestion for the New Year!

January of 2004 did not start off very good for me. My Father, in his early 50's, died on January 10 from lung cancer. That single event affected me profoundly. I was 30 years old at the time and I really took life for granted. Dad was the first immediate family member of mine that had passed and it really shook my worldview. Now anything was possible, anything could happen, anything was fair game. Of course as I mourned my Dad I thought about the things I would miss and the things we would not get to experience together. However, not all of my thoughts were so downtrodden. I was blessed to have a wonderful Dad for 30 years. Sure he wasnt perfect, but I never met anyone else's dad that I would have traded him for. I knew teens and kids who had rotten Dad's or no Dad at all. Slowly, my grief turned to gratitude for the times we shared together.
One thing that I have really focused on since his death is being aware of the special moments in my life. I don't stop to smell the roses from time to time, I stop and thank God that these are the best smelling roses anywhere and there is nothing I would rather be doing than smelling them! There are times in my life, even simple times, when I stop and think to myself: "If I could be doing anything or be anywhere at this moment, THIS is where I would be and what I would be doing." That is an awesome thought. I call it my NOW moments. I have felt that way at family outings, in Church, while sitting in a great seat at a UNC game or at a concert, in the company of a great friend, or in private times with my family.
I believe that by thinking about things in that way I have really started to sieze the day and enjoy life more. Of course, every day can't be a Kodak moment, but that makes them all the more sweet when they do come. My latest NOW moment came tonight. This evening I was blessed to be a part of my Grandmother's 90th birthday celebration. Nana has lived strong since the passing of my Dad and of her husband. She has a sharp mind, lives at home and still drives! When my Dad and Grandpa died, I thought Nana would be gone soon too. As I sat there tonight I thought to myself: "There is nothing else on Earth I would rather be doing tonight. There is nowhere on Earth I would rather be than right here right now." Friends, there is power in that! It is a life of gratitude because each time I feel that way I also take time to thank the One who made that moment possible. The One who holds the past, the future, and the NOW in His hands. Happy New Year!