“Be present.”
Those were the words that I heard at a dear friend’s wedding this weekend. They linger in the back of my mind as I come off the high of the weekend. I’d traveled down to Orlando by myself to attend the wedding. It was the first time since Harlan was born that I’ve traveled by myself for something other than work. No agenda, no responsibility, just three days to myself. Three days to be fully present in the moment.
So that’s what I did. I put away my cell phone, didn’t bother to check emails, didn’t even touch social media. I spent three days immersed in friends that I haven’t seen in years. While time and distance have separated us, it didn’t hinder the relationships. We picked up from where we left off the last time. Like no time had passed at all.
These are friends that I met in college. We’re sorority sisters. But our connection goes much deeper than that. These are people that I’ve shared my life with. They’re in the memories that I cherish the most in my life. They get me and better yet, they still love me for it.
In a world that feels the need to be so connected all the time, myself included, there is something so liberating about forgetting everything else that is going on in your life and totally lose yourself in the moment.
And it was the fact that I let it all go that made me realize how important these people are in my life. How much love surrounded all of us this weekend. And I was able to feel all of it. Not just part of it because I was distracted with the kids or because I was too busy looking at photos of what someone had for breakfast, but every single ounce of love that was poured out during those three days.
A good friend posted this quote today to sum up our weekend together, “Be kind. Live life. Hike. Explore. Love everyone. Be present.”
And that’s exactly what life should be.
(All photos taken by friends, because like I said, I put my phone away. 🙂 )
Shout out to Tom Sutton 😉
