Staying Present

I'm in New England now, and it's snowing out. My neices are in school and my sister and brother-in-law have gone to work, so I have their lovely home to myself. I brought in a bunch of wood so that there would be a good supply of dry wood, and then I took a walk.

Walking in the snow is such a peaceful, healing thing to do. Somehow everything seems quieter when it snows. Now I'm sitting in a comfy chair in the living room, feet up on the hassock and a cozy blanket covering my legs. I've got a nice fire going in the hearth, gentle music playing and a hot cuppa coffee by my side.

A Facebook friend shared this article and I wanted to pass it on to you. It's about our tendency to allow worries about imagined future events to steal our present joy. The author expresses it so beautifully and compassionately. This is something I've struggled with a lot this year, as I sometimes allowed my fears about the future impose on my enjoyment of the present. It's something I've consciously worked on - and continue to work on, and it was nice to have someone else express the experience and feelings out loud so the rest can remember that we are not alone in our challenges. Here's the link to the article: NYT Article

While you read it, I'm going to stare out the window at the falling snow, listen to the music, enjoy the warmth of the fire, and try to stay with just the experience of those things, in this moment, now.