Sunday, November 09, 2014
Sunday Reflection: Living in the moment
"Live in the moment" is one of those phrases I always thought was just wrong. I read it to mean that you shouldn't worry about or plan for the future, just enjoy whatever is happening right now. It seemed narcissistic and self-centered. When people would say it, I would roll my eyes.
Then, something happened, something quiet and gentle, but it is often quiet, gentle things that really change us.
The last time I was in Richmond, I was sitting at the bottom of a hill at the University of Richmond, talking to some of the students there. It was a beautiful evening, dusk, with that gorgeous filtered light and soft air that you get in Virginia sometimes.
At the top of the hill, walking towards me, I saw my friend Craig Anderson with his wife Lori. He looked tall and happy and strong. In that moment, that precise moment, my heart leapt with joy. It was a powerful thing. Craig had battled cancer, a terrible bout, and beaten it. Now, there he was, alive, well, whole. That instant was perfect: that moment of realization, joy, and gratitude.
Maybe that was "living in the moment," in a good way. I let myself feel that joy, express it, live it without compromise. It was only a moment-- I had a presentation to give-- but one of the best moments of all. I would imagine that at the end of life, that is what we are left with.
