It’s 11:43 PM, the red LED numerals broadcast into the dusky room from the clock on my nightstand.
Teeth brushed and clothed for sleep; I am ready to end another hectic day. While sitting on the edge of the mattress, assessing the activities of the last 18 hours, I am aware of my dog, Willie, snorting and grunting and snoring in his bed, dreaming of chasing cats across our back yard. Speaking of such, our oldest feline, Tiger, has assumed his nightly position, curled up at the foot of the mattress, bogarting far more space than is necessary. (I’m consistently amazed how an eleven-pound feline can manage to hijack half the bed, causing my wife and I to hang on to the edges so we don’t tumble off.) Both kittens, Oreo and Hobbs, sleep soundly on perches in the guest room.
A streetlight, noticeable from our bedroom window, doesn’t shine directly inside; it’s not glaring; more of a faint glow that lightly crawls — just barely — over our neighbor’s roof, allowing for a vague pale light which scarcely illuminates the contours of our room. It’s rather comforting, providing just enough illumination to allow navigation alongside the side of our bed before I slip under the blankets. Upon doing so, laying on my left side, my soulmate, my wife — who went to bed an hour before me — snuggles up behind me (careful not to disturb Tiger). She drapes her right arm over my waist, nestles her face into the back of my neck and falls back to sleep. Reaching my right hand behind me, I pat her on the leg and whisper – so as not to wake her – “I love you.”
A light breeze slides through the screen, caressing us both as we drift off into the waiting arms of Hypnos, the God of Sleep. Before I do so, I make a mental note:
THIS is a Perfect Moment.
I’m aware that it won’t last. I know that in the future, we’ll be thrust into situations unwanted and unpeaceful; yet, right now, this instant, in the present tense – EVERYTHING is as good as it can ever be.
My last conscious thought for the day: Grateful beyond words.
Several weeks ago, I wrote a piece about “being where your feet are;” staying in the present, realizing that the vast majority of time, I couldn’t really ask for more. In the day-to-day hustle-bustle, clang-bang, slammed full of appointments and concerns, I don’t think I’m the only person who forgets how fortunate I really am. My health is fundamentally fine. I have the love of a family and the friendship of countless others. Where so many are shelter or food insecure, I afford my mortgage and keep my refrigerator well stocked.
Could it all change tomorrow? Sure. But, if worry were a cloak of protection, nothing would ever harm us.
Perfect Moments embrace us like the serene warmth of sunshine on a lazy Saturday afternoon; lovingly, patiently, gently caressing our souls, filling us with appreciation for every deep and complete breath. A Perfect Moment is stopping to observe the full palette of colors of a yellow-orange-rusty-red sunset as Sol slides wearily into the ocean behind a cloudy horizon, Its day complete. A Perfect Moment sneaks up on you when you find that you can’t help but sing uninhibited, full-throated — off key — with joyful abandon to a favorite oldie on the radio while cruising the highway along an open beach. Perfect Moments are found in the unexpected laugh escaping your lips in reaction to a joke posted on your social media timeline. Perfect Moments show up with your BFF while you share a cup of Joe and a scone at the local coffee house, catching up on the small events that comprise the ticking clocks of our lives. Perfect Moments originate in the full extended embrace from the hug of a buddy, or even the smile of the clerk, thanking you for shopping and wishing you a day of love. Perfect Moments are found between the pages of good book on rainy weekend afternoon. Small children, learning to discover their own Perfect Moments bring additional Perfect Moments for those willing to watch.
The thing about a Perfect Moment is part of what makes it so perfect is knowing of — and appreciating so fully — its fleeting nature. It’s now. It’s immediate. It’s where I am in this minute.
Perfect Moments wait to be discovered; yet they are always in full view.
About the author: Scott “Q” Marcus is a THINspirational speaker and author. Since losing 70 pounds over 23 years ago, he conducts speeches, workshops, and presentations. He also coaches individuals and consults with companies on how to implement and handle change. He can be reached at www.ThisTimeIMeanIt.com or 707.442.6243.
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