My baby boy is six. SIX! I can no longer pretend that he is a baby. He is a full fledged kid. And I am so proud of the person he is. My husband, Doug and I have always said that we just hope we don’t ruin him. One of his best qualities is that he is intent on enjoying every moment.
At times, this drives us crazy. We’ll be trying to get him out the door for school, and he will be singing and dancing and taking his time. Or when he’s suppose to be brushing his teeth, he’ll be making funny faces in the mirror. He doesn’t do anything fast!
My parents’ friends have said that I was like that as a child. That I just wanted to have fun. And that I had so much joy. And I even remember a time when I was that way. When I saw the good in the moment.
And if I’m honest with myself, I’m not that way anymore. I don’t know when I changed. Is it just part of growing up? Of bills, jobs, parenting, sickness, natural disasters, death. Is it just the result of life?
It’s not that I’m not aware of the blessings in my life. I could go on about the things I am thankful for. My son, husband, home, job, co-workers, car, bed, tv, even my terrible dog! But somewhere along the way, I stopped recognizing and appreciating the present moment. And being joyful in it.
JJ Heller is one of my favorite musicians. And she has a New Year’s song called “This Year.” My favorite lyrics in the song are “I can’t wait to see what good will come. To feel alive instead of feeling numb. This year…” (You can check out the video below – I think you’ll love it!)
And that is what I want again – to feel alive. To dance. To sing. To talk. To listen. To look. To close my eyes. To laugh. To cry. To stop focusing on the destination and instead focus on the journey. To be joyful in the carpool line, at the grocery, cooking dinner.
To be full of joy. To rejoice.
“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24