the first and last day

“You think this is just another day in your life? It’s not just another day. It’s the one day that is given to you today. It’s given to you. It’s a gift. It’s the only gift that you have right now, and the only appropriate response is gratefulness. If you do nothing else but to cultivate that response to the great gift that this unique day is, if you learn to respond as if it were the first day in your life and the very last day, then you will have spent this day very well. Begin by opening your eyes and be surprised that you have eyes you can open, that incredible array of colors that is constantly offered to us for pure enjoyment. Look at the sky. We so rarely look at the sky. We so rarely note how different it is from moment to moment, with clouds coming and going. We just think of the weather, and even with the weather, we don’t think of all the many nuances of weather. We just think of good weather and bad weather. This day, right now, has unique weather, maybe a kind that will never exactly in that form come again. That formation of clouds in the sky will never be the same as it is right now. Open your eyes. Look at that.” – Louie Schwartzberg

This quote appeared on my instagram feed this morning, right when I needed it the most. I am in a constant fluctuation between past and future these days; rarely focusing on the gifts of present and presence. Rarely stopping to indulge my senses. Rarely noticing the details that make up the rich embroidery of this life. My life.

And so today we watch the sunrise and give thanks for our spidery friend.
We relish in squishy cuddles that I know won’t be around forever.
We notice each other from different angles.
We dig in the dirt.
We explore texture.
We laugh and hug as though today is both the first and last day.
And we give thanks.