It’s Christmas eve in our quiet little house in Waterford, Michigan. I’m now convinced our eight year old son has an espresso machine that we don’t know about – he’s bouncing off the walls like he does every morning, but today he’s singing Christmas carols and watching Spongebob’s Christmas special. Our 14 year wont be awake for a couple of hours, I’ll have to get the pry bar out to move him..and it’ll take him about an hour to wake up. The lovely wife is reading her kindle fire and drinking a cup of coffee, and I’m eating a poached egg while catching up on my iPad.
Why am I telling you all this? Because sometimes (especially this time of year) we forget to live in the now. What time does the ham have to go in? When do we need to leave for Church? Who schedules a 7pm service when the Lions game is at 4pm?
My friends in England and Europe laugh at me when I tell them how many hours we work a week, and how little vacation time we take. And you know what, they’re right.
Eleanor Josaitis was an amazing woman here in Detroit, and she shared something with me a couple of years ago. We were at lunch talking about our families – and I asked her how she had time for a family while founding Focus:Hope in the late 60’s. She told me that her kids don’t care what you do for a living, they just want your attention and your time. She also said that everyday when she got home, she slapped the wall before opening the front door and left her work there.
So what’s my Christmas wish this year? Live in the now these next couple of days, enjoy the moments and relax. The world and all it’s problems will still be there when you get back.
My weight loss surgery taught me a valuable lesson about this very thing. When I let the world into my thinking, I became overwhelmed and used food as a way to deal with it. Now I’m working everyday to lower the stress and be thankful for what I have.
I’ve spent Christmas Day under the ocean in a Submarine, on a beach in South Carolina, driving with my Dad from Salt Lake City to Phoenix to see a dying Uncle, asleep at my Grandmas house, waking up at my moms house and packing up my stuff for the parental switch as a kid. And I wouldn’t trade those memories for anything.
What’s on the agenda for tomorrow? Who knows..it’ll work out just fine. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to grab a cup of coffee and watch Spongebob with my son.
Jim In The D 
Beautiful post! Thank you for sharing it. As I read your words it made me reflect upon all the things I am grateful for too.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I hope this holiday season is filled with joy, love and peace.
blessings, Joan
Thank you and living in the moment RULES! Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Well said. Since becoming a Nana I’ve absolutely embraced ‘living in the now’. I don’t think I appreciated all the little, tiny moments in my daughter’s life…too busy working…but I will not make that mistake with my beautiful, perfect granddaughter. Nothing better that tea parties with a two-year-old! I’m so glad that you have come to this realization before those precious, fleeting moments in your children’s lives have passed. As we say here in the south, ya gotta get down and waller’ in ’em!!
So true I wish my husband would live in the moment, He works all the time and when he is home he is working on the computer or paying bills.He will be home today and my only Christmas wish is that he will kick back, play some games and just enjoy the day with my crazy family. But he called before he was leaving this morning already talking about mowing the lawn and making sure I told the smokers in my family to smoke away from the house. I just wish for one day he would let the small stuff go and live in the moment. Merry Christmas Jimmy I wish you were here. And by the way you are an amazing daddy. Enjoy Sponge Bob and your family.