Stuck in a Moment

There are moments (usually amongst piles of dishes) when I make myself stop what I’m doing, breathe deeply and soak in a moment. This is one. I’ve got 8 high school guys in my living room dressed in tuxedos practicing four part harmonies of Boyz 2 Men’s Silent Night, and two others watching a soccer game mentally readying themselves for Varsity try outs tomorrow and I think to myself, this is it…this is what I’ve always wanted my life and my home to be like….teeming with life and laughter and joy and music. 

The leaves on the lawn are in need of raking,  the dog is driving me nuts with muddiness and a six week old lingering skunk scent, the bills are overwhelming, the car needs a tune-up, the calendar is madness, college looms, and yet, I'm a walking Hallmark card. This must be what being in your Forties is all about...the ability to find contentment amidst the chaos...peace in the  pandemonium. Sure, some might call it denial, I call it perspective. 

The perception that building a legacy is vastly more important than the anxieties of the world around. Noah Ben Shea has given shape to this attitude lately. He tell us from an old African saying,

"Do not kiss your children so they will kiss you back but so they will kiss their children and their children's children."

This is the viewpoint I'm trying to maintain these days. Tonight was easy. Tomorrow morning will more than likely be a different story, but this moment will carry me for a good while and I'm just so incredibly grateful for the richness that is my life.