Living In the Moment; A New Year’s Resolution

It’s that in-between week.  Christmas is over. The kids have come down off their sugar high. Some of their new toys are already on the plastic scrap heap.  We adults have likely eaten too much, probably spent too much and no doubt rushed around too much.  Now that all the hoopla is over, we feel like a glass of flat champagne. We’re a little blue and reflective, but aware that January will burst onto the scene in a few days and off we’ll go again.

I’m analytical by nature, so this in-between week fits me well, even though I wish it didn’t.  I’ve always been drawn to people who love life in the moment, who “go for it,” who suck the marrow out of the bones of life.  These people live in a fully engaged, alive manner.

Whether it’s my middle-childness or play-it-safe nature, I can feel like I’m watching a movie of my life, giving director’s cut commentary frame by frame. But most people would not know that about me.  And I’m not sure I should blow my cover, but I’m willing  because I’m on a quest to join the present in 2010! To fully engage today!  To let bygones by bygones and fling cares about tomorrow aside! Ho! Today is the day! Carpe Diem!  Nacho Libre! —How am I doing? 

Living in the moment is easier said than done. I’ve been working on it for a year now.  Last year I tried slowing down, savoring quality and beauty, pursuing peace. While I’ve made some progress, as my freshman math teacher said, “I think you need a do-over on this one.”

So, I’m going to go at it again in 2010.

If I’m a bit successful during the next year, I’ll be blogging next December about how I learned to play. Did you know you can’t play in the past or the future?  Play is a NOW activity.  My plan is to play lots of Monopoly, Blink, Quiddler and other games with my kids.  I hope to take numerous nighttime flashlight hikes in our neighborhood, have picnics inside, savor bedtime routines and sit longer at the dinner table.

I’d like for Jon and I to get away for a couple over-nighters.  We were too busy to celebrate his BIG birthday right last year.  I’d like to catch some more big fish by his side wearing my attractive, brown, neoprene chest waders.  Wader fashion aside, fishing up on the Fraser River for big King Salmon is one of the few places I completely lose track of time!

If I’m really successful at learning to live in the moment, you’ll know because next year I won’t be writing this blog at all. I’ll be off on an adventure, not bothering to look ahead or behind at all because I’ll be too busy living today!

Happy New Year.

 -posted by Donna Detweiler, who wonders what you love to do so much that you lose track of time.