It’s hard for me to believe I’ve lived almost four decades now. At times, I still feel like a kid – I enjoy unwrapping gifts, I love the holidays, and well, in my mind I feel like I’m in my twenties, except for the occasional day of aches and pains. While I know life has changed me, I’d like to believe that I’ve become stronger and wiser because of it. The longer I live, the more I realize how much I don’t know.

But these things I’m certain of:

1. Life will lead you down many paths – some you will celebrate, and some you’ll wish you had run far away from.
2. Simple things can bring you the greatest joy.
3. Being a mother is not a job; it is part of my identity.
4. The love I have for my son far outweighs what I ever imagined it could be.
5. Relationships will change as time goes on, and that’s OK.
6. Don’t compare your life to others – nothing positive ever comes from it.
7. Time is so precious – you can never have enough of it.
8. Be gracious, always.
9. Focus on enjoying the “moments” in life – they are so very fleeting.
10. Life is full of beauty and love, even in your most trying times.

I’ll be honest, life kind of snuck up on me. While I could ponder where all the years have gone, instead I’m going to try and focus on the present, and live in the moment.  This is definitely challenging, as my thoughts tend to drift a lot to the past and future.  When I’m with my son, this is when I feel the closest to living in the moment – hearing a child laugh or seeing them smile seems to calm my overthinking ways.

So, here’s to living your best life, and doing what it takes to refocus your energy on living now, and not letting the past weigh you down or the future place an overwhelming burden on you.  Focus on the things you can change, the others, let go.  Easier said than done, but it’s a start!!