We must live in the present!

As expected, the goodbye was a little teary yesterday morning.  As I held little Mary and we listened to one of our favorite songs, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” (the Israel Kamakawiwo'ole version), I sang along and began to cry as I looked into her sweet little eyes...”I hear babies cry and I watch them grow; they’ll learn so much more than I’ll ever know…and I think to myself what a wonderful world.”  I so very much love being an aunt and having these precious little ones to love and look after and watch as they grow into the people they are.  Ever since Maeve was born in 2005, I have taken the role and responsibilities of being an aunt very seriously…so much so, that I truly feel like a second mother to these little people…I guess that’s what being an aunt is meant to be. I love them with all of my heart and I would do anything for them.  I truly cherish their presence in my life and appreciate them so much for so many reasons; one of which is that they have helped grow my relationships with both of their mothers.  And that gift, along with the gift of all of their countless smiles and hugs, is so very priceless in this life.

Life is such a precious thing, so full of ups and downs, laughter and tears.  You will hear me say this a lot…but my family just means the world to me.  I have no idea who I would be or where I would be without them and their love and support.  At times, our relationships may be strained due to our differences, but those differences are what makes each of us so unique and helps us have such interesting dialogues and grow as people.  Because we are all so different, it can sometimes take a conscience effort to be understanding and non-judgemental of the people around us; but, when I am challenged to see things from a different perspective, even if I don’t like it at the time, I know later that it is so very important!

Anyways, as Margo and I drove the 12 hours from Norfolk to Asheville, we told each other stories of our lives.  We talked about the first people we fell in love with and the challenges that came with those young loves…the passion and intensity of it definitely has plusses and negatives!  But looking back, we know that although we were young, those feelings of love were very real.  We spoke briefly about the job we had just left and the wonderful friends that we left behind there (we had the same position and left a week apart) and about the fact that neither of us knows what we will be doing for work next (or when)...and that's okay!  And at so many points during the six hour drive on that beautiful Blue Ridge Mountain Parkway we smiled and really soaked it in in all of its glory…so happy to have the open road ahead of us, both literally and figuratively J

As we drove through the peacefully gorgeous and breathtaking mountains, we couldn’t help but feel so happy and lucky to be exactly where we were in each moment.  If you’ve never been to the Blue Ridge Mountains, you really should put them on your list of places to go!  It never ceased to amaze us how blue they actually appear…and how they seem to go on forever and ever as if there is nothing else beyond them.  With such a feeling of elation, and surrounded by such relaxing natural beauty, I couldn’t help but think about the resolution I had come to earlier in the week. Something that has certainly been said before, but because I’m such a dreamer and a lover and a thinker (and, as a result, a bit of an over-analyzer at times)…I have never been that great at it:

**We must live in the present!  We cannot change the past; we most certainly cannot predict the future; but, the one thing we can definitely do is LIVE IN THE PRESENT.**

Simple, right?  No. Not necessarily. But especially during these months of self-imposed freedom and self-titled “Marci Time”, I resolve to remind myself of this…perhaps every day.  I will not let these days/weeks/months pass me by without truly appreciating as many moments as possible and accepting them for what they are…unknown, spontaneous (at times), precious, wonderful, irreplaceable moments of my life journey.   I’d be a fool to let them pass me by unnoticed.