This morning I was getting ready for work, all excited about it being Halloween. I love Halloween. Everyone is dressed up and it's a good excuse for party or carnival or movie night with friends. But this morning I wasn't as excited about it being Halloween for those reasons. I was excited about it being Halloween because it means that it is one day closer to all the things that are coming up. You see, I have a lot going on in the next couple of months and I just keep counting down the days for all this excitement. Tomorrow I leave for our Jr. High Fall Retreat, in 13 days my best friend from Texas is coming to visit, in 26 days my best friend from college is coming to spend Thanksgiving with me, and then in December I am going home for the first time since I moved to California for my favorite holiday of the year, Christmas!
I am the type of person who loves to count down. I have been doing it my whole life, especially for Christmas. In college my friends would make fun of me for always knowing exactly how many days there were until Christmas (53 FYI). I have always been looking forward to something. This morning when I was thinking about it, I decided that I wanted to be present in the here and now and not only looking forward to what is next. I want to be excited about what my life looks like today, in this moment.
I have been so blessed to have things to look forward to, but God has given me the gift of now. Right now is exciting. What I am going through today is worth my attention. Some of my favorite memories happened when it wasn't something I was looking forward to for months, sitting on the couch with my sisters making jokes and laughing at each other's silly faces, staying up way to late playing Just Dance in my dorm room with my neighbors in college, FaceTiming with my mom for hours late at night talking about nothing and everything at the same time, sitting a Chili's having a paradise pie and then regretting that last bite and taking forever to roll silverware because we are messing around after we closed at TGI Fridays on a Monday night.
These events happened without plans or a count down. They meant something to me because I was present in the moment. I don't want to miss out on those moments. So, while it is completely natural and acceptable to be excited about what is coming up, I am present here and now.
