I had someone tell me once that there were times in their lives in which they couldn’t take their eyes off an object because they were mesmerized by the beauty. He wanted to be able to fully take in the experience as long as possible; to be in that moment with the experience. He somehow thought there might be something wrong with him. Silently, as he said this I was asking myself why? Because he found so much beauty all around him that captivated him and gave him so much insight into our world?
My response to him- I told him what an amazingly fortunate being he was. That most of us went through life in anticipation of what was coming next, and lost those moments that he had found along the way so easily. That many of us were seeking that ability, but somehow it kept eluding us. Did he need to change? Never! He, his mind, his perception, his awareness, is exactly what many of us are missing and don’t realize it. He has been blessed with having been able to keep that quality that most children have, but as they grow up they lose it. The ability to be in the present moment. The ability to find that “aha” moment in the “small things” in life. The gift of gratitude. I learned a lot from him that day. In being different he thought there might be something wrong with him. What I hope he now realizes is that there is something very right. Let’s make the space to find the beauty in those moments we will never get back.