A Moment in Time

Life is a very similar experience for most people, or at least certain moments are fairly common in each individual's life. Everyone experiences love (both given and received), death, heartache, gratitude, change, etc. I have often marked my own life by big experiences, such as my birth, changing grades, graduating high school, going to college, big family vacations, and other such activities that seem to be big, and looking forward to big moments such as marriage, becoming a mom, graduating college, beginning a career, and those sorts of things. But, when I reflect back on my life, or on the people in my life, it is never the big things that have altered my life or my being. It is always the small moments that are the sweetest and most crucial in living life.

I remember always getting so excited for family vacations; planning out with my siblings which roller coasters to ride or what sites to hit. We would talk about it for months, and finally the big day would come! We would travel to the desired destination, and do the activities that that area had to offer, and head back home. Looking forward to them I was excited for the big things. But looking back, it was never the tallest roller coaster or famous monument that I think of. I remember riding the elevator, laughing hysterically on the car rides, getting lost on the way, losing the sunscreen, tripping over rocks, and other silly moments that could have happened anywhere, not just at Disneyland or wherever we happened to be.

I remember looking forward to Kristen's wedding, planning it and making sure everything was going to look nice and go smoothly. I was picturing the day as a whole, just as a whirlwind of family and photos and craziness. It was very much a family/photo/crazy experience, but when I reflect back on that day, the single moment  that stands out is when my sister and new brother in law walked out of the temple, and she was the happiest I had ever seen her. Her smile was so sincere and never left her face, and I remember being choked up with tears, grateful for how happy she was. It was not the decorations I so carefully planned, or the food bar that I was looking forward to that changed my heart, but that single moment that I cherish so deeply.

I remember being excited to go to Brigham Young University for college, and picturing classes, college social events, and just living the college life. While that has been the case for the past 3 years, that is not what has made college such a sweet experience. It was staying up until 3am talking with dear friends, going for a run in the rain with my best friend, sitting out on the porch and reading scriptures every night with the roommates, walking home from campus through the beautiful flowers and trees that are meticulously cared for, baking disasters, study sessions that turned into YouTube parties, getting locked out of my apartment, and grocery shopping. The little things have made my college experience a success, and has enriched my life more than I probably even realize.

Moments. That is what life is made of. Precious little moments, that are so easy to let pass us by. I have been very bad in the past about letting these moments whiz by, only to catch them when looking back in retrospect. I have made it a goal for 2013 to capture the moments, in the moment! Life has been such a fuller experience for me. Cleaning fridges, going running every morning, baking a cake, driving to Lubbock, yard work, and countless other activities have turned into some of my fondest most recent memories. 

I absolutely love life. I love getting to know people and hearing their story, I love doing daily things that just become a part of me and who I am. I love realizing how much the course of my life changes over the little moments. I am who I am because of a million little moments. It is easy to yearn for the "next big thing," but chances are you are in one of those big things you had been looking forward to only moments before. Live life in the moment. Do it because that exact moment will never happen again. Be mindful of the future, but live in the now.