"Today is a gift"

I must admit that while I enjoy having a blog, at times I feel that my life is not so much blog-worthy. I do not have one negative thing to say about my life - I love this life I've been blessed with!! But when I sit down to write a blog entry that other people may or may not read, sometimes I get that "what the heck do I write about" feeling.

Recently, my bible study group just wrapped up our second book. This lovely read was "Cold Tangerines" by Shauna Niequist. It's the most darling collection of short stories and the perfect read when you lead a busy life. It allows you to read for 5 minutes if that's all the time you have. Since each story is its own, you'll never forget where you left off or feel the need to "just get one more chapter in" and find yourself at 2AM.. been there, done that. 

This book captivated me. It's all about finding the little moments in life and learning to love and appreciate the things you may not take the time to acknowledge. Like that feeling when you hug someone and neither person lets go for a while...it's as if you're letting someone see straight through you in that moment and he/she's saying "I see you- all that you are - the good, the bad and wow, you really do have some ugly parts. But I don't care, I love you anyway." Life is about those moments. 

Here's an excerpt from one of the last chapters: 

"Today is a gift. And if we have tomorrow, tomorrow will be a gift....We could just live our normal, day-to-day lives, saving all the good living up for someday, but I think today, just plain today, is worth it. I think it's or job, each of us, to live each day like it's a special occasion, because we've been given a gift. We get to live in this beautiful world." 

So, to anyone reading this, I say the same thing that a Dunkin' Donuts employee said to me a few weeks ago, "Enjoy your day." Not the obligatory "have a good day", but she told me to enjoy it. I walked away, coffee in hand, thinking about that phrase. It's a charge to get the most out of the day - this day that you and I have been blessed with. It doesn't matter if it's a regular Tuesday or a particular Saturday you've been looking forward to for weeks, we woke up this morning, thanks be to God. We got out of bed on two feet, thanks be to God. We opened our sleepy eyes to see the world around us, thanks be to God. So let's not waste this blessing of a day - let's not spend it thinking about tomorrow or  dwelling on yesterday, let's dive deep in whatever today will bring and live in this moment. 

Enjoy your day!