In the Midst of Living

I've been thinking about this post for months now, but I couldn't seem to figure out how to write it without seeming completely over the top in the cheesy/sentimental/sappy department. I thought you might attribute my behavior to pregnancy hormones, and perhaps this is still a worry with postpartum hormones, but I'm sharing anyway :)

My Dad is always declaring things to be "game changers," like really good apples, or a super soft new sweater. We make fun of him for this, but a few months ago, I read an article in Real Simple that was sort of a game changer for me! (Of course, I can't locate it for the life of me. If you know the one I mean and find the link, please let me know!). 

The gist - which we've all heard many, many times - is that we are not great at living in the present. I know, right? Some us dwell on the past, some romanticize the future. I tend toward the future. Too much time is spent waiting for things to come. A beautiful day, vacation, dinner, time and resources to work on projects around the house, a new milestone for the baby. 

The writer of the article said that she started saying, "I am in the midst of living" at different times to herself. It sounds so silly, I know! Weeks will go by and I forget all about it, but then it will pop into my head again, and I'll spend a moment thinking that right that second, I am in the midst of living my life. I find that the more mundane the activity, the more poignant it is.

Driving home from running errands, waiting in line at the grocery store, feeding a growing baby on the couch, stealing away to the back porch to read a bit when the sun is starting to set, drying the dinner dishes. All moments that make up my at times boring, happy, frustrating, funny, sweet life. I always feel remarkably lucky when I realize those things about my life right as they're happening. How extraordinary to be given so many ordinary moments.