Lately, my plants have caught my attention. Not for the normal reason they would. Yes, I love growing life (aside from my humans), but it’s been surprisingly sunny in Chicago this winter, and the sunlight on the leaves in my home has taken me back. 

You know what really spotlighted this for me? It wasn’t JUST the sunshine. It was the contrast created by the shadows on the plants. 

The shadows made me really aware of the sunlight.

That’s sort of how life works too.  

I had a moment last weekend that was sort of like that plant shadow on the windowsill.

I never want to paint the illusion that my life is filled with only the sunniest moments.

Saturday was a really heavy day. Like, way heavier than normal. I went to a funeral – for one of my high school best friends’ father. I had spent a lot of time with him in high school, and he was the sweetest, most generous man. He was only 74. But things like brain cancer can strike anyone, anytime. And it sort of stops you in your tracks.

Life’s not forever. Sometimes things have to happen for you to just remember that. 

You think you’re young and healthy, that all you’ve got is time… And maybe that’s true. But it could change at any moment. 

That is scary, but it also provides perspective. 

It brings awareness back to what is in front of you. You can see the power in the beauty of the present moment when you see the full picture, which includes both shadow and light.

You can also look at life and choose to focus on the brightness.

When you look at your days, which area are you focusing on? Are you allowing yourself to see the light? Are you focusing on moments that bring you in more sunlight?

I think we need to stay in the present moment as best we can. As I’ve written about before, slowing down is my theme phrase for this year. We do have a choice when it comes to balancing out our thinking as much as to how we balance out our days. How are you balancing out your energy and how you see your days?

Something else I’ve noticed is that when you slow down, it allows you to see what wasn’t always there but is there now. 

For instance, a couple of those plants in the window – the ones looking so beautiful in the sunlight now – didn’t even exist a couple months ago. That thriving herb garden I planted – a gift from my sister at Christmas.

Staying aware of all these contrasts keeps me centered and appreciative.

I’m staying present in all of my connections. And, the other night, John and I had a date night to connect. The first one in a while.

He invited me to go to dinner with him, and my response was, “Like, without kids?” It made us both laugh because we ALWAYS used to enjoy date nights. Now, we need to be more intentional about them because we are so busy with the kid’s activities, our work, etc. 

So we went out. Just us. We sat at the best table at Le Select, overlooking the entire room full of big globe lights, and it kind of transported us back to France. For one night, we slowed down. We caught up. We told stories. We laughed.

It’s so easy for date nights to become buried by adulting. When you have kids, it can be easy to get so wrapped up in the day-to-day and the stress of it all and all the moving parts. It is easy to get weighed down by responsibilities.

But this connection and life we’ve built is so much a part of my heart now, that I never want to take it for granted. As much as I can’t imagine life any other way now, I am very aware that this wasn’t always my life. And that makes me all the more grateful that it is my life now.

I can remember in such vivid detail the moment this part of my life began, the moment the universe humorously beamed a light on a guy eating french fries in a bowling center  – 24 years ago. This year that guy and I will celebrate 20 years of marriage. (You can read the full funny story about when John and I met in this past post).   

So 24 years into this life together and we are married but still dating. We cherish this life we’ve built and that we continue to create together. Now, this life just includes a 9-year-old and an almost-teenager (he’ll be 13 in August eeeeek!) That also means that in another 10 years, we will have kids who are 19 and 23… I’m sorry, whaaaaat??! 

We are penciling in time to stay connected. As a couple. As parents. And as a family.

When life gets heavy – and those moments are going to happen, focusing on what I have in the present moment balances it out. It resets my focus…

At the end of the day, life is made up of just a whole bunch of small moments. Date nights. Dancing in the living room with my daughter. Watching the Bulls game with my son.

Those small moments, when you’re paying attention to them, can mean everything. But, without other shadows, perhaps these moments wouldn’t shine so brightly either.

The important question is, what bright moments are you paying attention to?