"This is just a moment; it's not the rest of your life"

While flipping through the November issue of O Magazine tonight, I read an article written by Julianna Margulies about an AHA! moment she experienced. I felt like I could really relate to this particular article, so I wanted to share.

On the night of a particularly long and exhausting day, she came home to put her five & a half month old son to bed. And like most anyone, when you're exhausted, you're likely more emotional. I know when I haven't slept enough and I'm coming home from a stressful day at work, the most insignificant thing can send me into hysterics. The cat can puke on a freshly vacuumed rug & I'll act like the world is coming to an end. After a much needed sleep, I'll realize just how ridiculous my reaction was. So, when Julianna had finally gone to bed, it was only hours later when her son woke her up at 2a.m. As she tried to calm him, her anxiety grew & grew as thoughts raced through her head about how she wasn't going to get enough sleep, how tired she would be the next day, how hard it would be to get through the day, etc.

Suddenly in the midst of her anxiety, a saying that her mother had said time & time again, popped into her head. "This is only a moment; it's not the rest of your life." Though she had heard it a million times, it had never meant anything to her until that moment. And it calmed & grounded her as she realized, What's the worst that can happen? So, I'll wake up with bags under my eyes; that's what make-up is for.

I could really relate to this story since I'm constantly getting caught up with what needs to be done next instead of being present in the moment. I often blog about this problem, but that saying really made sense to me & gave me a lot of perspective. This is just a moment; it's not the rest of your life. It's something to remember when you're caught up in a stressful moment. Because just as wonderful moments pass quickly, so do the bad.



I took this picture of Cameron last night when it was only the two of us at home since Mike was out playing poker. It had been a long day at work & I'd had a headache all day, so I was hoping for a smooth evening with Cam. We ate our dinner in front of the TV, laughed, and read books. Even though I could have fretted over the fifty things I could have been getting done in the house, I would not let myself. In my moments of clarity, I realize how ridiculous it is to sweat the small stuff when I am given the chance to enjoy the moment I could be having with my son. I know that I am so incredibly blessed to have him. I thank God every single night for giving me the chance to be his mom. I know that so many families would give anything in the world to have a healthy child, so I refuse to take him for granted.

Unfortunately that doesn't mean I won't ever worry ahead or stress about meaningless details, but I will try to limit them. I'll continue to tell myself, this is just a moment; it's not the rest of your life.