Living in the moment becomes more important the older one gets.  My 4-year-old granddaughter is teaching me that.  She is playing t-ball for the first time this year.  The other day I went to her practice.  When I arrived she was “in the circle” standing just behind the “pitcher.”  If you know t-ball then you know that the coaches actually do the pitching and the little girls stand “in the circle” around the mound and field balls.  She saw me and completely forgot what she was doing.  She starting jumping up and down, squealing, and shouted, “Gigi (I live in the South so it’s pronounced “Jay Jay”), can I come home with you?”   I shouted back, “Breezy, be in the moment!”  “What?” she yelled.  “You’ll tell me in a moment?,” she asked.  “Play ball!” I told her.  “What?” she said.  I yelled, “Pay attention!!”

When you are four it’s hard to live in the moment.  One’s attention span is not the longest.  But, when you are 50-something, it’s hard to live in the moment too.  But, it’s critical, I think, to health and happiness.  When Breezy comes to spend time with me, I try very hard to live in the moment.  There are many things I could be doing other than playing with her, but I keep reminding myself that we are creating memories for my and her future.  So, when she wants to play doctor, I stop what I am doing and I “pay attention!!”  Recently she was cutting a baby from my stomach with a bath mitt.  She said, “This is going to hurt A LOT, but only for a little while.  Scream, but scream easily.”

No one amazes me more or amuses me more than this little one.  I love spending time in her presence.  Since she’s been in pre-K, her interest in books has increased.  She picked up a tiny little book at my house (one I bought in Manhattan years ago; it’s sort of a touristy book that tells a bit about the borough).  It has a picture of the Twin Towers in it.  I used the opportunity to tell her about 9-11.  Later when she was recounting the story, she referred to the buildings as “The Tower of Twins.”

These are priceless moments.  You can see that not to be “in the moment” would be a mistake.  What precious memories we can create when we concentrate on the moment, and not the laundry, the dishes, getting ready for the next day’s work, playing games on the phone, or watching our favorite shows on TV.

This is my first attempt at a blog.  I hope you will join me from time to time as I reflect on life and being healthy and happy “in the moment.”