I remember what prompted this post. I was so overwhelmed with everything: the normal activities of family life, my job, aging parents, and any other life stuff. But as I wrote about it, I learned something.
Today. I can only do today, right now, this moment.
So much has happened since this post over 2 years ago. Both Mom and Dad are gone and I miss them deeply. I wanted to call Mom yesterday when I finally finished something I’d been working on for weeks. She would have said, “Great, I knew it would all work out!” And I would have told her how relieved I was that it was done, and she would have told me she loved me and I would have told her I love her.
But I couldn’t call her. I could only remember her. And be thankful I had a wonderful mom. And grateful I’d learned to live in the moment when I did.
“There’s only one day at a time here, then it’s tonight and then tomorrow will be today again.”
― Bob Dylan
I have a lot to do, even more to think about. Like most, I’m juggling too much. Thursday evening after work, I was driving to the hospital to see Mom. I was thinking about what I had to do after I left the hospital. Pick up medicine, go to Sears to return an item, give Blake a check, turn in ad forms, look through Brady’s papers………..my thoughts were interrupted by a text message. My son wanted to know if I was cooking dinner. I hadn’t even thought about it. I wondered if there was anything in the house to cook.
I suddenly felt overwhelmed with it all. I took a deep breath, asked the Lord to help me, and made myself stop thinking about the “to do” list that…
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mariegriffith.me 
I understand you there. Sometimes I can’t sleep at night because I keep thinking about how much I have to do. Or if I’m at dinner with friends and I can’t stop checking my phone thinking that I’m going to be missing out on something important if I didn’t.
And the thing with parents and grandparents…we often think they’re just always going to be there…except that’s not true. There’s always ‘something’ to be done, ‘more’ to be done. But I don’t think you need to cram it all into one day and make yourself scrambling from here and there. I feel that we should maybe just give ourself five, or ten minutes and reflect, and think about maybe scrambling isn’t the way to go. We should stop ‘reacting’ to situation as they happen, but instead, prioritize and deal with situations accordingly. And what I’ve realized recently, time spent with family, is hardly a waste of time. Especially since I’ve decided that the city my parents chose might not be the right one for me. It might be glamorous for some, living in a different city. But when I do think about it. I’ll be just on my own and if I wanted to call them, I’d have to wait until the appropriate timezone. So now I cherish the time I spend with them and try to overlook all the imperfections. Because time really is priceless.
Sounds like you have a lot of wisdom. I will forever treasure the time spent with them. You’re right, at the end of my life I won’t regret the time I spent with my family and friends. I would regret if I had not.
Thank you, I do think a lot. Sometimes I think I think too much.
There is more going on with the other side than we understand. I was in Nevada when I called home and learned that my mother had slipped into a coma. I was nearly 24 hours in getting home, back to Oregon. She didn’t respond when I took her hand in mine and talked to her, but an hour after my arrival she was gone. She knew I was coming, and she waited.
Your mother may know what you’ve done without your call.
http://n7net.me
Thank you Scott. I think your mother knew you were there.
Losing a parent is difficult. My dad passed six summers ago, my father-in-law passed last summer. I am slowly coming to grips with my dad and his legat to me, my wife still grieves and I kiss him, too. there are days when I want to call them or sit down and sip a cup of coffee with either of them, but I can’t. Instead I say a prayer and think of them. We take what we need, one day at time.
Yes I know I will always miss them but always thank God for them.