The Power of Now

How do you live in the now? You must have a passion, something to focus on, a goal, a dream, something to strive for.

The gentle rocking of a sleeping baby in your arms, the sweet baby smell, your breathing synchronized with his as his warm little body melds into yours. You can think of nothing else but keeping them warm and safe. People are talking around you but you can only hear the breathing and the heartbeat of the little child in your arms. You feel as one with the child as you glide back and forth in the chair. You must provide for them, they are your center, your passion. Your every waking moment is to care for this child.That is living in the now.

My children are in their twenties now. One of them is going to be a parent soon. It seems so long ago that they were babies. My sister just had a baby, he is seven months old. I just spent five days with my little nephew taking care of him. That mother instinct never leaves. The care is constant. I had no time to worry about what I left behind at work or the projects I had undone or when my next exercise class was or what I was eating or drinking. It was quite eye-opening to me. You never stop until it’s feeding time and then you can sit down in that rocker, darken the room and slowly rock as the baby touches your hand and you feed him. I had forgotten all that. That’s why it all goes by so fast; you are in the moment thinking of nothing else but what is happening in front of your eyes.. That’s living in the moment, living in the now.

I’ve experienced the same passage of time as I’m creating a piece of artwork or walking on the beach looking for treasures. When you do something you have a passion for you don’t have time to notice what time it is or think about your bills or problems. You are just in the moment, nothing else matters. The dishes can wait, the pot can boil over, the laundry can pile up you don’t care because you are rocking a child or painting a picture or writing a song or petting your cat. You are living in the now.

I can remember how hard it was to be sleep deprived, exhausted, and unshowered when my kids were little and thinking how hard this is. But one look or touch or new thing learned always made up for it. It went by so fast and then they are grown and you have this empty spot that you have to fill. Find that passion. Your second life after kids is just as important as the first half but this time you are experienced, older, wiser. Make good use of your knowledge. Volunteer to spend a few hours, days or a week with a baby you love, relive those moments, it will bring you joy and a new understanding of self and what’s important. Live in the now.