One of my favorite adventures as a boy growing up in the country, was catching fireflies on warm summer nights. These magical, mysterious little fiery fairies of the night, held captive in a mason jar, would later provide sparkling beauty to my darkened bedroom. If the hunt was truly successful, those glowing little butts would collectively provide enough light for me to read comic books under my covers.
Now I collect memories in a jar. If you think about your life, you realize it is made up of moments. Life fireflies in the night, you can choose to capture them to be held, to be enjoyed, at a later time. Within these moments, a handful will become the defining moments of your life.
Will you seize your defining moments like a firefly or will you simply let those moments past without extracting all the nutrients from them? I wonder how many miraculous moments and memories, we miss because those moments are shrouded in the mundane. Life sometimes seems so ordinary. Once a moment is missed, you have a glimpse of an opportunity lost.
Moments move in a timely manner, and time waits for no one. And, like petals of a rose, moments fall to the ground when there is no life left in them. Moments are to be treasured-not just the moments that you’ve already lived, but the moments in the present still brimming with life.
I am writing this blog early in the day on Christmas Eve. This morning, I was reflecting on memories like enjoying fireflies in a jar. Mostly they are of family in my youth. My mother and father are no longer celebrating the holidays with us and my brothers all live quite a distance apart. Yet, the Christmas memories glow warmly because they were captured in my jar.
What about you? Do you still capture memories to later warm you heart and light up your life? Don’t let the moments just fly past you. Engage. Go after them, capture them and make the most of them.
Today, nourish yourselves with the “small” moments, even the silent moments, take it all in because sometimes those “small” moments end up being some of the most meaningful. Cherish this beautiful day with family and friends. Tell those who matter the most to you how much you love them.
Merry Christmas everyone!
