Ugh…today was supposed to be my “quiet” work day at home. I was looking forward to a bit of a reprieve from my last 2 very long, busy work days. However, as we all know, the best laid plans…. anyways, my day did not go as planned. It ended up being more hectic and busy than I wanted and because of a few different work situations that cropped up, I didn’t get everything done on my “to do” list.

Then, I shopped planned and prepared to have a quiet, lovely, home cooked meal at home with the boys before we headed to church tonight. Well, I’m not really sure a quiet and lovely dinner is a realistic expectation with a preteen and teenage boy. They came to the dinner table arguing. They didn’t stop until I launched into a long and LOUD exasperated lecture about how I put so much effort and time into a wonderful family dinner and I was not about to have it ruined by arguing. In my frustration, I exclaimed, “Why can’t we just have a nice family dinner with quality family time?!” My 13 year old son looked at me stoically and replied calmly, “Maybe we could if you would stop yelling at us.”…gulp…hmm…O.K. Good point.

So far, it was a very ordinary day where I was feeling more tired than I wanted and a bit unappreciated. Then, tonight, at church a friend texted me to tell me her husband’s dad had just had a stroke. In an instant, my perspective and my priorities changed. I had been chatting with a friend, but as soon as I got that text, I gathered my boys and we left. As we all prayed for my friend’s father in law on the way home, I was struck by how precious every moment we have in this life is. Our lives are important and precious to the people who love us and most importantly to our Heavenly Father who loves us more than we can fathom.

It’s easy to forget how precious each moment of our lives are when we feel tired, underappreciated or our days don’t go as planned. We neglect to reach out to that cherished friend or family member to tell them we love them. We mean to, but as busyness and packed schedules fill our lives the days turn into weeks until maybe months go by without contact. I’m definitely guilty of this.

Tonight, I was reminded that circumstances can change instantly. I was reminded to take the opportunity to connect with loved ones often and to always tell people how much they are loved by me while I have the chance.

I want to aspire to cherish the everyday moments of my life and the people I love more. One way I know to focus on this is to keep a gratitude journal. Everyday, write down 3 things and 3 people you are grateful for.

I can tell you, I am grateful to YOU, my precious reader for reading my blog!

Be Extraordinary: 

What can you do to value and appreciate the everyday moments in your life more? Reach out to that cherished person in your life TODAY to let them know how important they are to you.

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