I know how important it is to take the time to pause in my everyday comings and goings to notice the little things around me.  To listen to the water as it laps at the shore.  To feel the wind on my face.  To watch the sun as it shines through the leaves on the trees.  To listen to the robin singing its sweet song.  Being able to focus my attention on the small blessings of the present moment is a gift and also a skill that takes practice.  Yet I know it takes my mind off the challenges of the day and helps me to enjoy the “nows” that take place all around me all of the time.  For it is the “nows” that  add up to make a day, and these days add up to make a week, and the weeks add up, and so on until the years have passed. These “nows” are a part of my “forever”.   I know people who count down the days to the weekend, but what about all the days and moments in between?  There are so many opportunities for joy in our everyday lives that are missed when we focus on the future or the past.  So as the new year comes and I set new goals for the year, I set one more goal: to focus on the present moment and enjoy all the little “nows” that life has to offer.

Forever
By Krista Longeway

The ocean tide rises and the tide falls
The wind blows freely and the robin calls
The sun shines down warmly upon my face
And now I am here in my happy place
Yet what about the moments in between?
I can still find joy wherever I’ve been
In the kindness of others along the way
In the things we do and the things we say
I learn so much from the natural world
To enjoy the “nows” as they come unfurled
For these “nows” all add up to make my days
And then each of these little moments plays
A part of the joy and even the strife
That become the “forever” of my life