Seize the Day

It seems that I've been reminded more and more lately of the importance of seizing every opportunity that comes my way.  Life has a way of doing that to us if we pay attention.

I remember when my wife was pregnant with our first, everybody and anybody would feel compelled to share that their now 20 year old was a baby once.  They blinked and all of a sudden he or she was grown up.  Around the same time, I was sitting with a musician friend of mine who shared about the little opportunities that he would take advantage of with his own boys who were in high school at the time.

All of these things seemed to take root in my mind as they were told to me.  In fact, it seems that a day can't go by without me being reminded of all of those collaborative words every time that I consider staying at work later than I need to or disengaging by sitting in front of the TV when my kids are open and free, young and at a place where they will never be again in their lives.

Early on in their lives, I began to check in on them countless times through the night.  With our first, I would always check to make sure that he was breathing.  I honestly still do that with him and his siblings.  But I love to watch them sleep, listening to the gentle breathing (sometimes snoring) of these little souls who have been entrusted to me.  I have done my best to stop and pray over each one of them on a nightly basis.

I feel like I've probably quoted Ferris Bueller too many times, but if the shoe fits, right?  Life moves pretty fast.  You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.  I've also begun to appreciate the fragility of life more and more and it feels like every time that realization hits me, I have a choice.  I can either live in fear about what I or someone that I love might face, or I can continue to seize the opportunities that come to me never knowing whether I will have another chance.

I was reminded of this again this morning as I "suited up" to go play in the snow with my boys.  I knew that the snow would not last, so I figured that we needed to seize the opportunity.  I also knew that my boys wouldn't always want me to come play with them, so there again, seize the opportunity.

So, as you face your day, think about the opportunities that might arise throughout your day.  Take advantage of them, I'm sure you won't regret it.

Get up early and watch the sun rise.

Hug your family just a little more.

Kiss your special someone a little longer.

Turn off the TV and start a conversation.

Get off of Facebook and pick up the phone.

Take a drive.

Go for a walk.

Practice random acts of kindness.

At the end of the day, I'll be surprised if you're not smiling.