Living in the Moment

My apologies for being gone for so long. I’ve had some health issues, but more about that later. The photo with this post makes me ridiculously happy! I love fall, but mostly, it’s what this new decoration represents that makes me smile.

I spent the past weekend with my besties since childhood. We do an annual Slumber Party weekend each year. The first year we caught up was in 2009 and I wrote about it here on Living Large.

We met up here that first year for a short visit and have been doing it since. Some are two days, some 3-4, it depends on where we’re headed and what else is happening in our lives. But we always take time to do it.

That first year, the girls dubbed Our Little House and property “Campbell Town,” so when I saw this adorable decoration at a craft fair we attended last weekend, they knew just how it should be personalized. I cannot wait for next year, for our 10-year anniversary of our slumber parties and they visit us here once again.

That brings me to my health issue, which 5 surgeries, multiple doctors, countless supplements, a months-long food diary and thousands of dollars in medical bills have yet to diagnose or correct.

It is an intestinal problem that causes me excruciating pain when I’m in what I now call “flares.” If I feel one of these flares coming on, I worry and worry and worry that it will debilitate me for the day, or worse.

It’s ruined many a day and many times, probably made the ensuing pain worse.

This week, I had to take our loveable, aging black lab mix, Chloe, to the vet. She had a lump on her neck that was growing rapidly and began bleeding over the weekend.

As I crested the top of a mountain and saw the magnificent sunrise that was shooting rays through the clouds onto the fog-swathed valley below, I found myself in the moment.

As I did over the weekend when I was with my besties, I found myself present, not worrying about Chloe and what could be wrong, or worrying about the twinges of pain I started to feel when I awoke.

Just like the new decoration, it brought a smile to my face and made me ridiculously happy.

I looked back at Chloe and she was happy, too.

She wasn’t worried about where she was going or the pain I imagine was surrounding that lump. She had a great big grin on her face and her nose was stuck up in the air, taking in each new smell as we passed them.

It’s too bad we humans have to be reminded to live in the moment, but I guess it’s what’s part of makes us human. If nothing else, this past year has at least made me aware that we have to take each moment as it comes, be grateful that we have those moments and count our blessings.

It’s the ultimate lesson of truly Living Large.

How do you remind yourself to live in the moment?