Big Daddy's thoughts hopes and dreams: More than a moment

Sunset Bering Sea Outside my Office at OCS (Nome Alaska)

I am of the belief that we do not take the time to slow down and enjoy the moments we have. Last night I had to stay at the office later than usual for a treatment team meeting. This was the second night in a row that I saw the sun start to go down. But last evening in between calls, I stood at my window and watched the sun go down over the horizon. My office filled with a brilliant pink shade that covered the white walls.

This got me to thinking about those moments. As I stood there and breathed deeply quieting my mind, I realized that I need to take time. Sometimes we need to wake up and realize that there are more than just the moments. A moment can turn into an eternity, playing out in our memory.

When I was in College I would go to the Nursing Home (which was definitely out of my element) and read Scripture to an old man. He loved the King James version, which I do not prefer. Covering his walls were photos of family and one section that highlighted his younger years in the military. Before I would read, he would recall with clarity past events and tell me stories of what at the time would have been an insignificant moment if he hadn't taken the time to enjoy it. What I realize now is that there are no insignificant moments in time. They are only insignificant to us if we do not slow down and experience them. This old man couldn't remember what he had for breakfast or who he had talked to the day before. But, he could remember 50 plus years ago with precision of detail.

This got me to thinking about our twilight years. This old man isn't alone when it comes to short term memory loss. It's a fact of life that as we get older we have a hard time remembering things. But what stands out to me is the fact that our memory from years ago stays sharp. So every opportunity to just relax and take in the moment is significant. The old man would smile with every story he told me, sometimes the same story over and over. The moments we take can bring us joy as a snapshot memory from so long ago.

I took the picture above and below over the last couple of nights. But I won't remember from pictures as much as what I saw in that moment. Pictures fade and lose their detail and clarity over time. A memory may never fade...

So take the moments and hold on to them. Let them sink in through your eyes and be burned into your memory to recall in your twilight years!

Blessings,

Mike III AKA Big Daddy