#9

Watching a TV show recently, I saw a father and daughter reunited through extraordinary circumstances on Christmas Day. The scene allowed the viewer to watch them reunite through a window, and it tugged at my heartstrings, and tears welled in my eyes.

But I was also struck with a thought as I watched it.

That's just a moment in time. Or a string of moments strung together to make a memory.

As the viewer, that's the last I saw of those characters. I saw what seemed to be a happily ever after. But really, like I said, it was just a moment.

A really beautiful moment.

A touching moment.

A memorable moment.

But just a moment nonetheless.

Life continues, and things happen, and it's not perfect.

Does that take away from the good moments? I really, genuinely believe it shouldn't.

Life is a bunch of moments strung together – good, bad, joyful, painful, sad, exciting, mundane – the list could go on and on.

But there's one thing I'm sure of: perfection in life circumstances does not exist.

And I'm learning to be okay with that. I'm teaching my inner child – who grew up on fairytales and happy endings – to be okay with that.

I'm learning to be fully present. Present at this moment, in this day.

Because I might have one of my own touching, beautiful, memorable moments. Today. And it just might balance out the difficulty that precedes or follows after it.

Happily ever after doesn't exist. But happy moments do, and though they don't last forever, my awareness of them can make time stand still…even for just a moment.