The Present is the Gift

"Yesterday is history,

Tomorrow is a mystery,

Today is a gift, 

which is why we call it the present."

- Bil Keane

Why is it so hard to live in today's moment? 

Today has so many positives in it.  

It is Spring - the flowers and trees are blooming, the daylight is longer, the days are warmer.  

This is Holy Week - Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday....leading up to Easter - a celebration of life.

I have a nice place to live, food to eat, family that loves me, great walking path to a beautiful park, books to read, and the ability to connect with friends and family. I have projects that I am engaged in that bring joy.  

And yet, I can so easily dwell on the past - especially on the "what could have- should have" of the yesterdays.  Why?  Because it is too easy to go to the negatives.  True.  But also because we always want to try to change the past...and we can't.  The past is the past.  Can't change it.  Can't go back and redo it.  Yesterday is history.  I can learn from the many yesterdays to move forward.  

Tomorrow brings a day of mystery.  I get a re-do - a chance to restart again.  And I have no idea as to what will be unfolded in the next day.  Well I do...it is what I bring to the mystery day.  I plan on bringing my positive, can-do attitude along with gratitude for what the day brings to me.

For today, I will live in the present because the present itself blesses me.

Signs of Spring

Spring is here according to the calendar.

First day of Spring....March 20th.

What are the signs of Spring?

Sign #1 - DST

March started with Daylight Savings Time.  I am never sure if DST is a good thing or not.  The challenge of rising in the morning when it is really dark is quite overwhelming.  But then when there is more sun in the evening, that's positive.

Sign #2 - B & B

The arrival of certain sporting events is a sign of Spring.  First, baseball is starting.  For me it doesn't matter if it is T-ball, Pony League, Little League, or Major League Baseball.  The signs are there - Spring Training, new uniforms, kids excited to be outside hitting and catching.

The second B is for Basketball....March Madness.  I have to admit that I do follow some college teams....like the Michigan State Spartans.  Of course, it helps when one of your children is interested in that team....and they win a lot of games.  The most exciting basketball event is my own college - Westmont.  The Girl's Basketball team won the NAIA Division 1 National Championship.  A great ending to a very challenging year for that team.

Sign #3 - Color

The biggest sign of Spring for me comes from my walks.  The trees are displaying their white and pink flowers.  The flowers drop to the ground like snow.  And the fields turn into mustard fields.  How can a weed look so beautiful?  Other flowers show their colors.  Sometimes it feels like one day there is no color, the next...bright yellows...and suddenly...the color is gone.

Yep, Spring is here.

Letting Go Is Hard To Do

I have to admit that I have a very hard time letting go ....of situations, of not getting my way, of having a project go a different direction.  I think that most of us have that problem especially when we feel that we were wronged.  I replay the conversation over and over.  I over analyze the actions and the conversation.

Does it get me anywhere at all?

No.  I focus on the negative.  I focus on the what should have been said or happened.   I am frozen.  

I've had my share of experiences in my life that I need to let go.  I need to release them so that I can move forward.   I have come to the conclusion that I am holding on to the wrong things for too long.

Letting go in a process that involves cherishing the memories as there is usually something positive and good to remember.  

Letting go involves overcoming the obstacles and learning from them.  The experience usually involved deep emotion.    I cried.  I was angry.  These emotions have helped me to grow.  I need to acknowledge the learning and move forward. 

In the end it is all about accepting everything that I have, everything I once had, and the possibilities that lie ahead.  

For me I had to find the strength to embrace the changes in my life, find the good within the bad, put the things I've been holding on to for too long in my imaginary bubble, and blow it away. 

 Once the bubble was blown away, I had to take a positive step forward.  And only one step to get started.  

It isn't easy.  But it is necessary in order to move forward.