Take Time to Notice

When I get in the groove, I usually go into my automatic mode, setting the alarm, getting into my car to head to work, and then arriving there with hardly a memory of what occurred between starting up and turning off the car. Summertime and my niece’s end-of summer wedding got me out of ‘automatic’ and into the moment.

There is nothing like a wedding to make you take notice of what is happening in each moment. From the first sight of the bride in her magnificent dress to the dinner and dessert buffets, to the first dance, I found each moment alive with energy and joy. While talking with those I hadn’t seen in some time, and engaging with friends and family of the couple I’d never talked with before, I noticed every little thing around me.

My most memorable and alive moment was when two mothers of my niece’s friends maneuvered my 91-year old Mother onto the dance floor. You need to know that she had never danced a dance in her life. She was laughing so hard that it took a couple of hours for her to literally catch her breath. She has since recovered and we’ll all remember that moment forever.

Since returning to work after the wedding I am continuing to notice what’s around me in the moment. A friend and I ate our DQ delights in a flower garden close to home a few days ago. We were totally taken in by the amazing scents and colors of the blossoms, the industrious bees and inquisitive tiny black flies, and the antics of a bevy of hummingbirds performing mind-bending acrobatic feats, including a mid-air standoff and dive bombing incident. I couldn’t stop watching the action.

Two days ago, I walked around the lake near my office during my lunch break. I had to laugh out loud at the Canadian geese when a small group gathered their friends and honked their way from this lake to another nearby. The geese enjoying the lake just looked up and then continued their in-line meandering. I passed the sign at the Pavilion which acknowledges Energy, Laughter, Earth, Sky and Water. I realized that really noticing what was going on with the earth, sky and water had quickly amped up my energy and laughter.

I enjoy noticing each moment and I am making it into my habit of choice. Life’s complications become simpler and the rush turns into relaxation when I take time to see what’s present in my moments. My mind lets go of anything that isn’t happening NOW, my happiness expands, and I feel fully connected and alive.

I recommend grabbing your friends, dogs, or kids to keep you company on your excursions into the present moments of life; I know you’ll make some unforgettable memories along the way.