Carpe Diem

There's something called "good ole days syndrome". It's the tendency to over-rate experiences of the past, experiences which in reality weren't that spectacular. Such as, "Those possum liver casseroles Granny made sure were yummy" when indeed those casseroles were quite ordinary. Something about all those years going by that dull our evaluative talent.

Often, however, this syndrome isn't accurate. It turns out that the experiences we remember really were that spectacular. So spectacular, in fact, that they should be the focus of our remembrances. So wonderful, if fact, that we should never let time dilute our memory of them. It might be those times Dad played catch with you or when Grandma let you help her cook. These are timeless experiences that give us a glimpse of what heaven will be like.

That's why I think it's critical to recognize those moments now which decades from now will be truly meaningful. Our tendency, of course, is to let extraneous details distract us while these events are happening. I'm trying hard to not let this happen to me. I'm getting unforgettable interractions with our grandkids at this juncture in my life...and I'm doing my best to grab onto them as they're happening, to realize the miracle of the moment, if you will. Often, Zach or Ethan or Maddie will say something funny, noteworthy, or profound and immediately Carole and I exchange a meaningful glance and smile, knowing that we just saw the curtain of heaven pulled back a bit. Or it's some interaction with the younger two, Macie or Audrey, that sets off the glory alarms.

I guess what I'm saying is how wonderful it would be to live so as to have no regrets later on in life - specifically, no wishing I'd paid more attention to the daily miracles that were occurring right before me. It's not as easy as it looks. Satan, the father of lies, is adept at getting us thinking more about stuff and more stuff instead of things eternal. But with prayer and meditation (thinking on those things above), the Holy Spirit is well able to scrape the scales from our eyes and allow us to "seize the day". Or more accurately, seize the moment.