Do You Know How Lucky You Are?

“In life, one has the choice to take one of two paths: to wait for some special day – or to celebrate each day as being special.” – R. Ogunlaru [Tweet this.]

It requires Herculaneum effort, advanced planning, a bit of craziness and absolute audacious resolve to accomplish. It’s much easier to skip, much less stressful to give in, and much more exhausting to attempt. It’s not for the weak of heart or the weak of spirit. I’m of course referring to trying to get a bunch of kids bathed, dressed, fed, and out the door for church on Sunday mornings!

After all the effort and stress, parents then have the daunting responsibility of somehow policing a small mob of fired-up, energetic, and often very verbal children through an hour-long service.

Last week ours ended with one child clinging to my legs, another clutching onto my neck, and sweat dripping from my body. An older lady I’d never met before approached, smiled warmly and asked, “Do you have any idea how lucky you are? These days are going to fly. Enjoy them.”

My friends, this kind reminder is echoed frequently by other parents who have lived through this same phase. It seems that everyone with older children realizes now how beautiful those earlier days were. They realize the diapers and running noses and screaming that kept them “too busy” are now what they remember most fondly.

“Do you realize how lucky you are? These days are going to fly. Enjoy them.”

This sentiment isn’t just shared with young parents, though. How many people told you in grade school to enjoy that time, because it would zip past? How often did they remind you to enjoy the sock hops, school plays, two-recesses and close friends?

How many older cousins told you to relish high school, because pretty soon you’ll have to grow up? How frequently were you encouraged to enjoy those dances, those Friday night football games, those pep rallies and those pop quizzes?

How many aunts and uncles reminisced about their college experience reminding you to enjoy your years in college: very few responsibilities, those fraternity parties, that amazing class schedule, those late nights? They’d remind you that they were certain to be the fastest five years of your life 😉

Here’s the point: looking back we all realize the absolute gift of each stage. We appreciate the wonder of childhood, the energy in high school, the freedom of college, the awe of raising kids, the joy of launching them forward. Yet, in our own little space, in whatever stage we find ourselves today, too frequently we are experts at ruminating how great the past was, but less skillful at embracing the great gift that is our life today.

My friends, maybe the time has come to stop longing to get past this phase and hoping for the next thing to come our way. [Tweet this.] Maybe it’s time to wake up from either living in the past of who we were or longing for the future of who we might become. Maybe it’s time to realize that there are two paths before each of us today: to wait for some special day – or to celebrate each day as being absolutely special.

Next time someone approaches you and asks, “Do you realize how lucky you are? These days are going to fly. Enjoy them.”  Be prepared to look them in the eye, smile warmly and respond, “I know! That’s why I celebrate each day as being an absolute gift!”