Snapshots

When I think about my life, I see it in snapshots. Little memories that seem to define the way that I see myself. Little moments that had big impacts. Memories across the years that somehow make up the story of a person's life.

Last year while I was home during the summer, I drove to Atlanta to meet my brother for lunch. It was raining that day, and I listened to Ben Rector all the way there. And we had lunch at our favorite barbecue restaurant and then he walked me to my car and my umbrella flipped inside out because of the wind. For some reason, it's one of my favorite memories in my life. I was just so happy in that moment to spend time with him.

I could go on forever...memories from when my nephew and niece were born, when I saw my oldest brother again after almost 2 years, memories with my grandparents, and a hundred silly memories in between.

Sometimes we seem to think that life is made up of the huge extraordinary moments where you're doing something amazing. But what I've found is that life is amazing because of the simpler moments in between. The quiet moments in a comfortable relationship, the surprises that you didn't see coming, and just simply the moments where you're connected with the people around you. Those are the moments where we find ourselves because that's when we feel true joy; joy in loving others and feeling understood ourselves. You never set out to make these moments happen, but they do, and that's what is so beautiful about them because they represent the true nature of life; life happens the way it's going to and the way that things turn out depends on your reaction to the circumstances you wouldn't have expected.

So rather than trying so hard to be everything we think we have to be for people around us who are too busy thinking about themselves and who THEY have to be, why don't we just spend more time living? Why don't we spend more time loving those around us and learning about ourselves through the process? Life is just too good to miss, no matter what is thrown at you.