When Life Happens

By now, I would normally have shared my 2009 resolutions, which usually evolve over the month of January.  But after I signed off of this blog on New Year’s Eve,  welcomed 2009 with my little family and sank into bed, things spiraled off course.

Today is Valentines Day, and I just figured out my New Years’ resolution. Well, I should say, LIFE gave me a resolution – just one, and that was enough.

If you’ve followed my blogs for awhile, you know that New Years’ Day is my  favorite holiday (okay, it’s tied with the day after Thanksgiving): cleared of the demands of December, I relish the clean, blank space inviting me to reflect, open my mind to new possibilities, and plot my resolutions.

At the dawn of New Year’s Day, I was robbed of my blank canvas. Instead of enjoying the freedom to map out my course, I was held captive by the possibility that I would lose someone precious to me — someone who had the better part of his life ahead of him. The details are not important, because he came through it, and so did we.  Today he is the healthy, sunny, smart, sweet and confident person he always was.

But something has changed. I have tended to see life as a given, and any threat to life as an interruption. But after coming so close to losing him, each day he is here feels like an addition. Extra. More. I enjoy and savor his presence, grateful for the simple reality that right now he is here.

New Years’ Day threw me completely off.

So, not by any planning of my own, my New Years’ resolution became this: to remember, when I look into the eyes of someone I love, that at this moment, he or she is with me, and I am blessed.

Maybe I’m not so behind after all. It’s Valentine’s Day — the day we set aside to celebrate the ones we love.

My wish for you today is that you feel the presence of those loved ones, whether you have a romantic date, tuck your kids into bed, or share a quiet evening with your adoring pet. Take a mental snapshot of your loved one and say to yourself, “at this moment, you are with me, and I am grateful.”

Happy Love Day,

Laurie

P.S. Check out Movies We Love and other treats at my site, www.wakingdesire.com.