Present.

It's been awhile since I've written. And after all of the love and concern you all have shown me, you deserve to know why.

So I'll tell you.

I had a funny, Pep Talks post rolling around in my head, all ready to be typed, when I checked the news on the morning of December 14, 2012, the day a crazed murderer went into Sandy Hook Elementary School and killed innocent adults and children.

After that, I just didn't feel like writing. 

It didn't seem right to post something light-hearted and comical about some minor issues I was having when some families--families very similar to mine--were grieving the loss of their loved ones.

And so I did what I think those families would do.

I spent more time with my family.

I focused on the moment.  On being Present, attentive, savoring every moment. 

We wore Miss B out one day and she fell asleep on the kitchen floor while I was making dinner.

The beauty of being Present--of giving full attention to what is happening right NOW--is that I am able to see more things to be joyful about.  From the mundane things like doing the dishes to the memorable things like decorating the Christmas tree...

We had 1800 lights on our tree this year--a new record!

To making Christmas candy and cookies with my sisters..

 

And dipping treats in chocolate with the family...

To the annual clam chowder Christmas Eve dinner...

And the opening of new pajamas on Christmas Eve...

And the excitement of Christmas morning...

To visiting my parents' house in St. Louis where it was more fun for the kids to all sleep in the same bed...

I have no idea how Miss B slept like that.

We just enjoyed it.  We laughed, we played, we discussed, we taught, we learned.

No planning the next thing.
No worrying about the future.
No fretting about what went wrong in the past.

Just joy in the time that we have together.

Each moment, each time in the Present, was (and IS) an opportunity to strengthen relationships, to know each other better, to show each other love and kindness.

And while my kiddos might not remember everything we did in the past month--every game of Wii Sports that we played, every time we read a book together, every time we laughed over the flour poofing out of the KitchenAid--I hope they always remember that they are loved.

T-Man with one of his Lego creation Christmas presents.

Love this kid!!

Miss B and her new "Say Cheese" face.  LOVE this kid!

Fearless caught licking his fingers...he thought he was being sneaky.  LOVE this kid!

We never know what is going to happen next in life.  Whether it be having a child having with special needs or living in random places or brain surgery or who-knows-what-else...there is always some sort of uncertainty.

While I can't stop all the stressful/sad/scary things that might happen, I can spend the moments that I have letting the people most important to me know that they are loved.

My commitment to them is that I will be Present.