Trying to Live in the Moment

I love the fall. It’s my favorite season. Every year at this time, I drive through the streets of my town and marvel at the incredible palate of colors on display. Each day brings more beautiful colors than the one before, and I consider myself truly blessed to live amongst such a breathtaking display of nature. There’s something about an October sky that sets off these leaves to their best advantage. It seems as if the outline of each leaf stands out against the sharp, blue sky. Indian summer is always nice, but my favorite part of the season is the crisp cool air with just a hint of wood smoke. The air is also filled with the scent of dried leaves, and they make a crunching, shushing sound as you walk through them.

It’s true that I complain about our bitterly cold winters and our hot, humid summers. But I know that if I moved to an area with a different climate, I would miss those few weeks each year when the trees change from shades of green to rich hues of gold and red and orange.

Alas, I’ve noticed lately that there are now more leaves on the ground than on the trees. Thanks to a few rainy, windy days, many of the trees have shed most of their leaves. My front lawn is completely covered with leaves. At this point in the season, the beauty of fall suddenly becomes tinged with a bittersweet sadness. Rather than enjoying the last few days of nature’s unique art show, I begin envisioning bare branches, icy cold weather and a winter that seems to last for eternity.

Why do I have such a hard time appreciating the “now”? Why can’t I just live in the moment and not try to rush whatever might be in store for me tomorrow?

This is a common problem for me. I prepare a meal and, rather than taking my time to enjoy it, I rush through it to get to the next item on my “to do” list (in this case, clearing the table and loading the dishwasher). When I go to the theater to see a much anticipated movie, I check my watch several times throughout, wanting to get this experience “done” rather than just enjoying each minute of it. When my children were little I wished that they could be just a little bit older, so they could do more for themselves. Now they’re rapidly approaching the age where they won’t need me for much more than a ride to the mall and some cash for their wallets.

Maybe I should blame it on society. My first column dealt with the fact that people consider July 4th the mid-point of summer. Before the true mid-point of summer arrives, stores are touting their “back to school” items. This year I saw my first Christmas commercial on October 10th. We hadn’t even reached Halloween yet and suddenly it’s time to get ready for Christmas. We worry about our third grader’s MCAS results because one day (ten years in the future) that same score may prevent them from graduating high school. So can you blame me for having a hard time appreciating the “now”?

My friend Julianne is a Health and Wellness coach. Part of her mantra is to focus on the moment. Don’t dwell on yesterday (it’s gone) and don’t worry about tomorrow. The most important thing is to concentrate on this moment in time.
Julianne’s good advice applies to more than just exercise and eating habits. Rather than worrying about how to pay for my child’s college tuition in six years, why not just enjoy the progress report that came home with all “A”s? Instead of worrying about my parents’ future health, why not be thankful for their current good health and enjoy all that it allows them to do? Instead of beating myself up for the junk food I ate yesterday, why not embrace the healthy choices I’m making today?
And instead of picturing cold, icy roads and barren branches, why not enjoy the spectacular display of colors that is right in front of my eyes until the very last leaf falls to the ground?

Hey, it’s a start.