How many times do we look to the past and remember the times when we felt hurt or betrayed?  Or how many times do we look to the future and worry about a job, our children, our financial status, a relationship, or our health?  Are you living in the past or living in the future and what kind of vibrations are you creating through that focus?
The place you want to be is ‘in the now.’  Living ‘in the now’ of the day and not looking anxiously at what might be.  Be aware of your day today.  LIVE today. BE today.  Don’t let anything take you away from living today and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy each moment.  Your todays will become your tomorrows.

I remember standing next to Nannie, that’s what I called my grandma, to make Snickerdoodles.  I loved the smell, I loved standing by her on my stool, and I loved the talks we had over baking.  She wasn’t the best cook but boy could she bake cookies!  We’d talk about her day and all her students. She had a class of first- and second-graders each year and she would take me on the field trips with them. I was four years old at the time and the older girls loved to babysit me during field trips.

I remember her handing me the little balls of cookie dough so that I could  roll them in the cinnamon sugar.  She said I ‘had the touch.’  I was very proud of ‘having the touch’ even though I had no idea what that meant.

She would ask me about my day and I would talk to her about my big day I had.  My brother pinching me, gathering walnuts, playing in the ivy, and the worrisome birthday party I had to go to the next week.  I didn’t want to go because it would be all big kids and that scared me. Nannie handed me a ball of dough.  “Bethie, what is today?”  I didn’t understand what she meant.

“Umm…it is when the sun comes up,” I said hesitantly. She laughed that deep rattling laugh.

“Today is like no other day because tomorrow today will be gone. “

That made my head spin.

“I don’t get it.”

“You see when we worry about what will happen in the next few days we are robbing ourselves of the day that there is right now.  You are worried and that worry is making you feel sad while you and I are having such a great time together.  How about we figure out how to solve your worry later and just focus on the joy of what we are doing right now?”

To a four-year-old that made complete sense.  “Stop worrying and have fun.”

I said, “Okay, Nannie.”

We finished making our cookies and sat down and enjoyed cookies and milk.  Both of us were laughing and wearing our milk moustaches, and she said, “Now how about instead of creating a big fear we figure out what it is?”

I told her what I thought would happen.  The kids might tease me and I would be embarrassed to tell anyone.

“But what could happen, Sunshine?  Maybe it will all be fine.  Would it help if I came with you?”

Problem solved. “That would fix it.”

“Then how about we get back to today and go play some games.”

I hopped down from the table.

I look back now and realized she gave me a very valuable lesson. There is a solve but until you find and know that solve…enjoy the now.  Now go bake some Snickerdoodles!

Advertisement